


Tordtom oneshot thingies i guess

by tenura



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 54
Words: 72,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29557416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenura/pseuds/tenura
Summary: tomtord oneshots ououpdate schedule unsure..prolly mainly dom tord :pmoved/copied from my wattpad account i_like_tordles
Relationships: Future Tom/Future Tord | Red Leader (Eddsworld), Tom & Tord (Eddsworld), Tom/Tord (Eddsworld)
Kudos: 13





	1. Childish

Such a sweet boy. So kind, so caring. Always smiling brighter than the sun. His dark eyes seeming to hold so much light, being the gateway to his innocent soul. His strange hair, standing up alone, a tooth missing from his top row. Adorable, childish, so full of life. Worries withered away by playful acts.

Grabbing my hand, leading me to the sand we'd visit so often. His bear held in the other, overalls tied together by loose threads, though he doesn't mind.

My knees feel weak as I fell to the ground, yellow specks covering my pants. My friend laughs, his giggle soft yet so strong. The laugh soon fading as tears begin spilling from his void eyes, my heart racing as I stand, legs darting to the one who showed me kindness for all these years. His knees buckle, his body falls to the floor, clutching his chest as water continues rushing down his puffed cheek.

No command needed, nothing but instinct guides my every move. Arms lacing around the boy's torso, clutching onto him, he seems to appreciate the gesture. Holding me close, his breathing steadies, tears falling slower as he leans onto my frail build. My hands pick up a faint rhythm, I notice his heartbeat through his skin, the racing speed decreasing with every minute.

Laying on the pastel beach, waves reaching the ends of our feet. He looks at me, pain written over his pale face as he attempts to speak, words never leaving his broken lips. My thoughts travel nowhere as I stare at his flawless skin, pink dusted over his scattered freckles. A wondrous sight awaits us as we gaze to the horizon, the sun leaving our life as nightfall arrives.

Thoughts picking up again, my heart yearns to let him know. Tell him there will always be a brighter day to come, as the loss of a leaf doesn't mean the tree has died. It lives on, he will know what I imply when my words speak those of pity and trust. My fingers entwined with his, the weight of his head resting on my feeble shoulder.

Though his smile may be sweet, his actions innocent and full of childish wonder, I finally fathom what torture his soul has endured. His naive facade withering away as emotion takes control, breaking any attempt at remaining hidden.

Our time in the light of the sun ends, we take off, sauntering down the path of stone and dirt. Silence floods our journey, crickets being the only ones to break our soundless walk. His head low, my heart shatters as I gaze at his emotionless state, not even the kiss of the wind on his skin earning a response.

His furrowed brows inform me of his busy mind, his thoughts never settling until our trek is half over. My cold hand laces around his, a small movement of his head when he glances at my actions. His eyes eventually meet mine, legs never stopping to continue our stroll as we share a soft smile, his filled with sadness as mine is filled with empathy.

"Tordy?"

His voice almost a whisper as the gentle breeze washes over us, his hand holding mine tighter.

"Yes, Tom?"

The large, white and blue house now only meters away, my eyes never leaving those of my friend, his smile fading away by the second.

"You're not gonna leave me too, right?"

The sound of his voice cracking making my chest feel heavy and tight. Our feet stop moving, my body turns to him as he mirrors the movement. I release his hand from mine as I move closer, my small arms wrapping around his torso, feeling his warm breath on my tender skin as he returns the gesture. Water falling from his face, a small whimper escaping his lips, I let my eyelids gently close, shushing him while tightening my hold on his body.

"I will never leave you. I promise."


	2. Soulmate au

Tom's pov

I'm so nervous.  
I'm so freaking nervous right now.  
My counter is down to 10 hours, and I am NOT ready to do this. I've waited half my life for this day, but I have no idea what's going to happen.

You see (here comes the cliché 'explaining what's going on in the story' part), everyone has a soulmate. One person who is supposedly their "one true love" or something like that. I honestly thought it was ridiculous... until I noticed the blue counter on my arm. It appeared when I was around 12 or so. I didn't know what it was at first, so I asked my parents. When they saw it, they were... shocked to say the least.

There are many different ways of finding your soulmate. Some people have a red string of fate that ties the soulmates together, in a manner of speaking. Others see in black and white until they meet their soulmates.

And then, there are people like me. People with some kind of marking on their body. My parents met with the string of fate, and expected me to have the same, seeing as how it's always been that way in my family. But... NOPE.

I have a counter on my arm. A counter that started at 5 years, and is now down to 10 hours. I don't know what'll happen when it reaches 0. I'll most likely be on my way to school by the time it goes off. I guess... there's only one way to find out...

After I got ready for bed and read a little, the counter was down to 9 hours. Letting out a shaky 'good night' to my parents, I let sleep wash me away from this nerve wracking reality.

*****time skip******

"Bye!"

I waved goodbye to my parent as I walked out the front door, turning to stroll down the desolate footpath, my mind blank until a thought popped into my head. I looked at the counter on my arm.

"OH SHIT!"

The counter was down to 2 minutes.  
2\. Freaking. Minutes.  
How did I not notice that sooner?!

I looked around me again. there was no one in sight. I started to sweat a little as I wondered what could happen when the time was up.

1 minute left. By this time, I had made my way to the park, the lush green trees surrounding the path I was walking down.

30 seconds. My heart started beating faster. I was getting really nervous. What if i don't meet my soulmate when it goes off?

15 seconds. I looked around the park. Nobody was there. My mind was racing like crazy. I was so distracted that I failed to notice when I walked into a tree.

5 seconds. I fell to the ground, holding my head before looking up at the large oak in front of me.

"Hey! A little help?"

I tilted my head up a little more to see a boy around my age on a branch in the tree, his leg apparently stuck between two other branches. He had smooth, caramel hair that seemed to stick up like two horns, his sliver eyes gazing into mine as I tried to wrap my head around what just happened.

I looked at the counter on my arm. It was at 0. I looked at the boy again, finally understanding the situation. I just met my soulmate. And he's stuck in a tree.

"Hello?"

He called out to me again, finally snapping me out of my thoughts. I blushed and took my backpack off before stepping on a branch and climbing the tree. As soon as I reached him, I grabbed his leg and pulled it as hard as I could, eventually freeing it from the branches that were holding it. When he regained control of his leg, the boy turned to me and hugged me.

"Thank you so much! I would've been stuck up there for days if you hadn't come!"

I chuckled lightly when he pulled away, reaching his hand out to me. I shook it and smiled.

"My name's Tord by the way."

"I'm Tom."

We both smiled at each other, still sitting on the branch of the tree peacefully, until Tord's eyes widened slightly. He pulled back the sleeve of his red hoodie to reveal a red counter on his arm, the numbers all being 0. He looked back at me with a slight smirk.

"So, what now, soulmate?"


	3. A beautiful tomtord story

tim and turd were alone in the house one night. they were watching some show on the tv thingy.

"hey tim" turd said. tim turned to turd and turd pressed his ding dong in tims face.

"AAAH WHAT DA FUQ MAN?!"

"succ mah peepee" turd had a cat face. it was cute. >:3

"nu"

"succ!"

"nu!" tim ran out da door but turd grabbed his butt ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) and pulled his back somehow.

"howd u do dat, turd?"

"magik!" turd prayed to devil god and pulled tims panties down. then he put his meat stick into tims poopoo hole. tim screamed and turd made an anime girl face.

"OOh yeAH Mr KraBS!" tim screeched and turd pounded tims butthole.

tim and turd frickle frackled for 5 hourz until egg and mattress came thru the door yelling.

"wHat Iz gOinG on HErE?!"

turd pulled his dingle dongle out of tims putty butty and sed "BeKFAst!"

and mattress cried on da floor

THE END


	4. Artificial

Tightening the last bolt, the man stood up and took a step back before staring at his creation.

A smile was plastered on his face as he took it all in, looking over every sheet of metal and layer of paint he used.

It was magnificent. The light bounced off the silver exterior, making it seem shiny and sparkling.

The man let out a deep breath he'd been holding in before he walked up to the android and held it's head. He stared at his creation as it slept, grinning with excitement as his fingers traced over a small switch on it's neck. His heartbeat picked up speed as he stopped for a moment, his mind racing with worried thoughts until he calmed down.

Sighing, he flipped the switch on the android, pulling his hands away before patiently waiting a few steps away.

All was silent. Not a movement was seen. After a few moments, the man let out a disappointed sigh and walked to his robot again, tool in hand.  
Though in an instant, the android sat up, causing the man to topple over backwards and fall down. He landed with a grunt, groaning from the pain in his lower back.

Eventually, he stood up once more, noticing the android was now sitting upright, eyelids still closed. It didn't move again. It simply stayed in that position.

"H-hello?"

The man's voice was shaky as he stepping closer to his creation, afraid it might make another sudden action. Moments passed and the android responded, his eyelids opening ever so slowly, until the man was faced with two black eyes staring back at him. The two stared at each other, taking in the other's strange appearance and trying to make sense of the situation.

"Hello," The man slowly walked up to his invention, reaching his hand slowly towards it. "...Are you... functioning?"  
His fingers lightly brushed the shoulder of the android, earning a slight flinch from the robot, though it adapted to the touch quickly.

"Who are you?"

Its voice was soft, a trait the man was grateful for. He ran his hands along the arm of his invention, feeling the smooth sheets of metal as he smiled warmly.

"My name's Tord. I created you."

He faced the android again, his hand resting on it's shoulder as he felt the warm metal under it. The robot looked at Tord's hand on his shoulder before turning back to him.

"Why?"

The question took Tord by surprise as he lifted his hand off again, placing it next to his body.

"Well, because..."

No reason came to Tord's mind as he said that. There was no actual reason. So he simply shrugged.

"Why not?" He let out a small chuckle as the robot nodded slightly.

"Who am I?"

The robot looked concerned as Tord stopped smiling.

"I... don't know. I didn't think of a name for you yet."

Both looked slightly upset, the android looking at his artificial body and around the room they were in.

"Who would you like to be?"

The robot shrugged, his eyes scanning the room before locking onto an object in the corner.

"What's that?"

He lifted his silver finger and pointed to an old teddy bear on the far side of the room.

"Oh, that's just Tomee bear. I've had him since I was little."

He walked over and grabbed the bear before walking back to his invention, holding his childhood toy out to it.

"Do you want him?"

The robot looked confused and took hold of the bear, almost crushing it from the pressure of his hands.

"Tomee bear... Tomee... Tom... I like that name."

"Which name? Tom?"

Tord asked, his expression turning to one of joy. The robot nodded slowly, it's eyes never leaving the bear in his hands. Tord smiled with pride.

"Hello, Tom. Welcome to your life."

***********toime skipple************

"I am not sure if these suit me."

Tom looked at himself in the body-length mirror, examining the large blue hoodie and black jeans on his metal body.

"No way. It looks great on you! Plus that's all I could find in your size."

Tord put the remaining clothes on the ground away that didn't fit Tom's body.

"Ok."

Tom turned away from the mirror and walked over to Tord. Eventually they left the room and headed into a smaller room that had a desk with a laptop and chair. The walls were dark red and a grey couch was positioned parallel to the desk.

"I'm going to check your systems and see if everything is running correctly, ok?" Tord said as he pulled out a laptop and placed it on the desk, turning the power on as he did so.

Tom nodded and stood beside him as Tord pulled a wire out from his pocket. He plugged it into the computer before facing Tom again.

"Now, I've only ever done this when you weren't active, so please let me know if you feel any pain and I'll stop right away, alright?"

Tom seemed confused.

"What is pain?" He asked as Tord took a hold of him arm, plugging the wire into a slot designed for it. He paused when he heard Tom's question and looked him in the eyes.

"Pain is... a sensation you feel when something hurts. Like if you burn your finger, or cut your arm. That's physical pain. There's also emotional pain, which to some people is even worse. It can change people, traumatize them, haunt them for the rest of their lives. And no matter how hard they try, it never leaves them. The pain is always there with them. Even if time moved on, even if the cause was somehow justified, no one can forget the pain they went through. It's stuck with them forever, no matter how hard they try to get rid of it."

There was a long silence after that. Tord had his head hung low, and Tom stared in confusion at him.

"But that's not the kind I was asking about! Just tell me if anything hurts when I'm checking your systems, ok?"

A sweet smile returned to Tord's face as he looked at Tom again. The android nodded and Tord began the check up.

********time skipppppppp*********

Tord let out a large yawn as he sat back in his chair, his blinks becoming slower and slower until he simply let them fall.

"Tord?"

Tom walked up to him and tapped his shoulder, the man in red flinching and opening his eyes to see his panicked robot.

"What's wrong, Tom? Is something the matter?"

Tord stood up to be at eye level with the silver being.

"You weren't moving. I was unsure if you were alright."

Tord let out a chuckle as he walked to the door.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tried, that's all. But I should thank you for waking me up before I fell asleep on my chair."

Tom followed the man down the hall into another room, a large, flat object with material spread over it in the center.

"What is that?"

Tom pointed to the object. Tord meanwhile, was slipping off his shirt and pants, leaving him in only his boxers as he sauntered over to Tom.

"That's my bed. It's where I sleep."

He replied before sitting on the mattress, pulling the covers over him.

"What is sleep?"

Tom asked curiously, walking to the bed and sitting at the edge. Tord grew slightly nervous as Tom stared at his chest. He pulled the covers up a little more and cleared his throat.

"Sleep is what humans do at night. They drift off into unconsciousness for a few hours until the morning, when they wake up again. Which is what I'm doing now."

"What about me?"

Tom continued to stare at Tord, who let out another yawn.

"I designed you to recharge at the same time as me. Which means you should be going to sleep pretty soon as well."

Tord yawned once again, his eyes closing completely before turning back to Tom.

"Where will I sleep?"

The question made Tord nervous, as he did not think of where his invention would recharge.

"I-I didn't think of that..."

Tord looked down guiltily, Tom unaware of the reason why.

"May I sleep here?"

The android asked, his body moving closer to the center of the bed.

"Yeah sure. Whatever."

Tord moved over to make room for Tom, who got under the covers with him, the warm metal brushing up against his skin.

"Thank you."

********oof another slightly big time skip*******

"Tord? May I ask you something?"

Tom was sitting on the couch in the living room, holding a small book in his hands. Tord walked to the couch and sat opposite Tom, tinkering around with a small box.

"Sure. What is it?"

"What is love?" Tom asked, turning to Tord with confusion. The man looked back at the android, setting his box aside as he moved his body to face Tom.

"There are many types of love, Tom. Which one do you mean?"

Tom sighed and pointed to a sentence in his book, allowing Tord to read it before putting it down.

'They shares a passionate kiss filled with love and desire.'

Tord cleared his throat before speaking.

"Um, love is... hard to describe. It's a feeling of attraction towards someone or something, but it's... more than that. Romantic love is what someone feels when they are together with someone who they want to share themselves with. Not always sharing their body, but more like... sharing everything that they are with that person. Love is when you accept someone for who they are, wanting to spend your time with them, wanting them to be happy no matter what it takes. If you love someone, you want to grow old with them and never leave their side. Does that make sense to you?"

Tom's head moved slightly, making a nodding motion as his face showed an expression of deep concentration.

"And what is a kiss?" His eyes met Tord's again, seeing a light pink tone spread over his skin.

"And act of love. When two people connect their lips together."

There was a long silence as Tom stared at the ground.

"Did... that help you understand the story?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"No problem."

Tom continued staring at the ground while Tord reached for his box, tinkering with it once more. Minutes passes, and only sounds heard where from the metal in Tord's hands until Tom spoke up.

"Tord?"

"Yes, Tom?"

As Tord turned his head, he was met with the touch of metal on his lips, warm and somehow very soft. Confusion soon turned into bliss as he melted into the kiss, his hands letting go of the box and travelling to Tom's hips as he felt the android's arms warp around his shoulders. Moments passed, and the kiss eventually broke, Tord staring into Tom's eyes feeling nothing short of bliss.

"I love you, Tord."

Tom smiled at him as he leaned in, resting their foreheads together. Tord chuckled slightly, a smile never leaving his lips.

"I love you, too."


	5. Do I embarrass you?

"Yeah, we've been together for a few months now. I love everything about him! His hair, his eyes, the way he always gets so nervous when I talk about him to other people. Oh look! He's looking over here! Hey, Tommy!!"

Tord gave his boyfriend a big wave from the other side of the room before walking over to him, grabbing his wrist, and pulling him back to his friends.

"Tooord! Why do you always have to do that?"

The smaller man's face was dusted pink while he hid it under his blue scarf. The taller man wrapped him in a huge bear hug, almost suffocating the other while kissing the top of his head repeatedly.

"Here he is! My one true love, the milk to my cereal, the flowers to my garden, Thomas Ridge! Or as I like to call him, Tommy!"

He gave another series of kisses to the man caught in his arms before letting them fall to his side and twisting their fingers together.

By now, Tom's face was completely buried in his scarf, only having his hair stick out from the top. Tord and his friends laughed at his adorable antics while he stayed under his scarf, his face getting redder by the second. (*cough* i guess u could say he was as red as a TOMato*cough*)

"He really is such a great boyfriend though. He's so sweet! You know, he once bought me flowers after work, just because he missed me all day. Isn't that adorable?"

Pau and Pat laughed with Tord, while the flushed Brit was desperately trying to hide every part of his head from the world around him. To his demise, he could still clearly hear every word spoken around him.

"Is he always this shy though? He's got a little hiding place in his scarf."

Pat looked at Tom curiously, while Tord simply laughed.

"Oh yeah! He's always shy around new people. But not around me! Just another thing I find adorable about him. That, and the sweetest little sounds he makes in the bedroom, if you know what I mean."

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, TORD! THAT'S IT!"

In a flash, Tom poked his head out from under the scarf and tore his hand away from Tord's, turning his heel and stomping out the front door, eyes from other party members glued to him as he left.

As soon as the door closed, all eyes eventually lead back to Tord, who was in a shocked state after what had happened. He froze when he saw Pat and Pau's worried expressions, their eyes burning into his skull like lasers.

"Uh... I- uhm..."

He struggled to find the right words to say as whispers started flowing around the room, murmurs heard from the other party guests.

"I have to go."

And with that, Tord speedily took off through the door, in search of his blue lover. Walking down the desolate street, the only light around was from a nearby street lamp. Quickly picking up his pace, he began down the path in front of him, no pineapple hair in sight.

Tord was thankful he and Tom didn't live too far away. They shared an apartment together down the road from the party, and as Tord came to the end of the street, the light in his apartment building was on.  
Thankfully.

As soon as he pushed open the front door, he could hear the faint sounds of someone crying. A feeling of guilt in his heart, Tord made his way into the shared bedroom of him and Tom. There, he saw his beloved boyfriend, wrapped in blankets while crying pearly-white tears from his beautiful void eyes. As soon as he saw Tord, Tom turned away from him, sniffling.

"Tommy? What's wrong?"

The taller man crawled onto the bed, kicking his shoes off before doing so. The blue man still keeping his back turned to him.

"W-why do you always have to do th-that, Tord?"

His voice sounded rough and broken, not like the sweet melody Tord would always hear when his boyfriend spoke.

"Do what?"

Tord had now moved to be right beside Tom, the blue man still not facing him. He huffed, his cheeks puffing a little with tears still rolling along them.

"Embarrass me."

Tom's expression seemed hurt as Tord moved his body in front of him, a hand raised, ready to hold his dear lover's cheek. Though his hand wavered. He wasn't entirely sure if it was the right thing to do. At this time, at least.

"What do you mean by embarrass?"

"I mean... you're always telling other people about our relationship. And about how much you love me, and how shy I am. And how you think it's the most adorable thing in the world. But you also talk about our... really private life, and it just gets too much for me, Tord! I love you, you know that. And you love me. You tell me that every night before we go to bed, and every day when you get home from work. And I really love that! It makes me feel special and happy.

But.. with others? I just feel weird. Out of place. But you don't. You think it's a great conversation starter and you keep going on and on about things that no one apart from me and you should know! I'm just... a little overwhelmed by it all."

Tom sighed at the end of his outburst and looked down, closing his eyes. But when he felt a hand cupping his cheek lovingly, he opened them again and looked directly into the beautiful silvery eyes of the man he fell in love with.

"I just want others to know how special you are to me, Tom. But if you don't want anyone else to know about it, I won't talk about us in public anymore. I'm sorry, Tommy."

Tord felt warmth on top of his hand, as he saw Tom holding the one he was cupping his lover's cheek with. The smaller gave a heartfelt smile as he gazed into his eyes, their faces inching closer until the gap was filled between them with a sweet, tender kiss.

Tord felt Tom smiling against his lips, his arms snaking out from under the covers and around his neck, pulling his partner closer. This lead Tord to tumble forwards, trapping Tom underneath him. The kiss broke, and both men lay there, arms wrapped around each other.

"You have to admit though, you are really adorable, Tommy."

Tord gave his boyfriend a sneaky grin, to which the smaller man blushed intensely.

"Sh-shut up and keep kissing me, you big dummy."

Tord chuckled slightly, Tom's hands still around his neck, pulling him in for another deep kiss.

"Wouldn't dream of letting go of you."


	6. H.R.F (not 'Human Rights Foundation')

Tom's pov

1am.  
Time to make my move.  
I've been waiting all night for this. For the chance to see him again.

I looked to my left, seeing my assigned mate sleeping peacefully next to me. Her blonde hair flowing onto the pillow, small snores escaping her lips. As much as I don't love her, she is honestly a pretty good companion.  
But... she's just not the right person for me. The right person is waiting on the other side of the facility at this very moment.

Glancing back at the time, I quickly got on my outdoor clothing and slipped out the door, careful not to wake my sleeping mate. I'm thankful our sleep sector is on the first floor. Some of these structures go on until the 40th floor.

I walked outside, feeling the artificial wind hit my exposed skin. I looked down the light grey street I was standing on. No guards. Good.

I snuck across the road, creeping around the many plain white structures. Hardly any sounds were heard, apart from the ventilators whirring in the sky. Well it's not really a sky, is it. It might have a blue screen, a few fluffy clouds to make it seem more appealing, but at night, the screen shuts off. And the illusion of freedom disappears. Above our heads, miles away, is the ceiling of our town. Town? Why did I call it a town? It's a cage, and I know it. We all do.

But what can we do about it? We've all been bred for one purpose, and one purpose only.

To reproduce. And to unsure that the human race ever dies out. That's all that we were born to do. Why we're all here.

My thoughts came to an end as I turned into the alleyway. The one right next to my secret lover's sleep sector.

There, I saw him. Waiting for me. Like he always does. I felt my heart flutter slightly as his sliver eyes gazed into mine, his neutral expression changing into one of pure delight.

"Tom! I was so worried you weren't gonna make it..."

He wrapped me in a warm hug, his hot breath hitting the back of my neck. I giggled as he kissed my nape, nibbling slightly in some places. He bit lightly at a certain spot, making me unintentionally let out a breathy moan. He looked back at me, a small smirk forming on his lips. I pulled him in for a passionate kiss, our lips melting together as my arms travel around his shoulders and hang loosely around his neck. I gasped slightly as his cold hand made it's way under my shirt.

"Tord... n-not here."

I whispered shakily. He pulled his hand back and looked me in the eyes, an even wider smirk apparent on his face.

"Don't worry. My mate is visiting the mental adjustment center tonight. We got the whole sector to ourselves."

I started smiling widely too as Tord pulled away from me and held my hand, carefully leading me around the side of the building and through the door. Swiping his card and opening the door, we made our way up the many flights of stairs, giggling like high school girls.

This was too perfect. Tord's mate was gone for the night, and he lives in one of the few structures with no surveillance cameras.

As soon as Tord closed the door, I pressed his lips against mine, feeling the heat building up in my body. He let out a muffled moan and took dominance of the kiss, lifting me from the ground by my waist and carrying me to the bedroom. We landed on the bed with a flop, his muscular body closely looming over mine.

"I love you, Tom."

He looked me right in my eyes, truth lingering in his words as he softly closed in on my face.

"I love you, Tord."

He brought his mouth to my neck, sucking and biting at it. I felt love with every mark he left me. I know when I leave, that I'll miss this the moment I walk through that door. The feeling of my true lover holding me so close.  
Loving me so much.

********time skip! (sry no smut in this story! ;)***********

We lay there, side by side, resting in each other's arms. He smiled warmly at me, and I gladly returned the gesture. Our clothing was strewn across the floor, the blanket barely covering our bodies as we held each other close.

I always miss this when we're apart. When I always have to fear that we won't ever see each other again. When I have to fear that they'll find us.

And split us apart forever.

Thinking about that made me nervous, and Tord could tell. He lifted his hand and brought it to my cheek, rubbing it slightly as his expression turned to one of worry.

"What's wrong, Thomas?"

He looked solemnly into my eyes, my gaze dropping lower as I placed my hand on top of his.

"I'm just... Scared. What if this is the last time we'll be together?"

My eyes wandered back to meet his, sadness written all over his face.

"Don't think like that, darling. Let's just enjoy our time together."

A sad smile returned to his face, and I nodded. He closed his eyes, my eyelids starting to feel heavy. We both relaxed into our embrace, warmth radiating off our exhausted bodies. I finally felt happy. Free from the oppressing world we live in.

But not for long.

In an instant, a series of bangs on the front door were heard, a gruff voice shouting from the other side.

"Tord Larrisin and Thomas Ridge, you have violated the H.R.F rules in section 7C, classification: Mating, paragraph 14: one shall only breed with one's assigned mate, and paragraph 243: Homosexuality will not be tolerated. As punishment for your crimes, you will both be sent to a mental adjustment center where your corrupted minds will be corrected."

As the man kept talking, Tord and I were hurriedly getting dressed, our eyes wide and filled with worried tears. My heart was beating out of my chest as I feared for my life; they say many people sent to the center come back as someone entirely different.

Their brains are altered as well as their personalities, their identities replaced for a different, 'corrected' version.

When the front door burst open, all I could do was hold onto Tord, hoping it was all a bad dream and that it would go away. Unfortunately, this was all too real. They ripped me from my lover, him screaming my name as tears escaped our eyes, my hands being cuffed together. A sharp pain in my neck was the last thing I felt before my vision went dark, Tord's screams being the last thing I heard before I passed out.

***time skip***

My time was coming soon. I could tell. Around me were plain grey walls, the same grey as the structures I grew up living in. I couldn't cry anymore. I had no tears left in me.

All I could do now was wait and think about Tord. The way he acted so lovingly towards me when we were alone. The way his eyes gleamed with pure happiness when we held each other close. The way his hot skin felt against my naked body. I would never be able to feel that again. I sighed longingly as the door opened, a woman with dark brown hair entering the room.

"You're up next, Mr Rigewill. The doctor will join you shortly."

I nodded, accepting my fate. There was no way to escape this place. I just hoped Tord was ok.The woman walked out again, leaving me with my lovesick thoughts one final time.

Hardly a minute passed when the door opened again, a man in all white clothing wearing a face mask entering the room I was trapped in. I glared at the man in front of me wincing as he tried to feel my face.

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU SICK FU-"

"Tom!"

I froze hearing his voice. His sweet, caring voice saying my name once more.

"T-Tord?"

He slowly took the mask off, my eyes widening as I saw my lover smiling fondly at me. I almost jumped on him when he did, though he stopped me.

"Not now, Thomas. You want to get out of here, don't you?"

I retracted my arms and nodded quickly, his smile turning into a slight smirk.

"I found an exit. Away from this hell hole and into the real world. If we want to get there we have to move quickly."

I almost cried from joy, giving him the biggest kiss I ever have. We escaped the room, me following Tord down the many hallways. He held my wrist tightly, acting as if I were prisoner and he were bringing me to the mental adjustment chamber. No one suspected a thing. Until an announcement rang through the structure.

"Patient B49 has escaped. Lock all doors and exits. We may not let his corrupted mind leave!"

Tord had already made it to the door, desperately trying to keep the sliding panels from closing completely. But they were. I ran faster than I ever have, hearing shouts from various guards in the distance. The doors were almost closed completely, me being but a few meters away from it. I gave it my all, running faster than my legs could carry me.

In the last moment, I made it, the panels closing behind me while I lay on the grass outside with center, my sweet lover next to me, breathing heavily. We looked at each other, smiles of pride and accomplishment apparent on our faces.

No words were spoken between us as we stood up, hands held and heads high, waking away from the cage we had spent our entire lives in. Though before our old home was out of sight I turned again, seeing the sign that haunted me finally far away.

'H.R.F'

'HUMAN REPRODUCTION FACILITY'


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok im just gonna say one thing... Idfk what au this is or if it's angst or something ... It's not fluff or smut, it's not rly uh... Happy...? Idk whatever :p  
> Btw this is like... The worst one I've written so far, so... You have been warned.  
> also... kinda dom tom

Tord's pov

I kept my fingers pressed over my mouth as he looked at me, waiting for me to retort. His smug face turned to one of confusion as I slowly backed away. I felt a wall meet my back, my mouth opening slightly at the touch. The black liquid dripped down my lower lip, my other hand wiping it away as quickly as I could.

"Tord? Is everything ok?"

Edd joined Tom's side, both of them creeping closer to me. I backed away quickly, my eyes widened with fear. My breathing quickened, forcing me to open my mouth to get more air in. As soon as I did that, the liquid poured out of my mouth again, and I turned away from my friends, running into my room and locking the door once I closed it.

Edd and Tom were quick to follow me, their loud knocks filling my room as I moved my dresser in front of the door. I was panting now, the ink-like substance falling onto my carpet.

I coughed violently, more and more of the black splotches making puddles on the floor. I placed my hand over my mouth, some sticking to my skin as I pulled it away.

I turned to the mirror, hardly recognizing the person in the reflection. My skin was pale, pitch black ink running down my chin and hand. My hair was completely out of place due to me running so quickly.

The knocking on the door stopped, and I heard footsteps leading away from my room. I let out a small sigh of relief, more liquid leaving my lips. I quickly closed my mouth again, my eyes watering from the fear of not knowing what was going on. I was scared.

I didn't even know how it even started. I looked in the mirror again, noticing faint black dots grouping up in my eyes. I blinked, sending the black liquid running out of my eyes and down my face.

Tearing my gaze away from my reflection, I fell onto my bed, laying down while hugging my knees close to my chest. I just wanted whatever was going on to stop. My eyes felt heavy, the ink starting to make them stick together.

***time skip***

I woke up next to a puddle of black ink. My mouth must've been open all night. It was difficult to open my eyes. The substance probably made my eyelids stick together. When I did get them open, I looked around my room.

My carpet hardly had a spot that wasn't covered in ink. I made my way to my closet, stepping on the now hardened liquid. It broke under the weight of my body, pieces of it turning to powder.I grabbed new clothing from my closet, as well as a cloth to wipe my face with.

Once I got changed and cleaned my face, I turned to the mirror again. I hadn't opened my mouth at all that morning. So I tried it. Maybe it was gone.

Nope. More ink poured out of my mouth before being wiped away by the cloth. I turned back to my closet and got out a bandana. I wrapped it around my mouth, covering the bottom half of my face.

I pushed the dresser out of the way of my door before walking out, my hands stuffed into my hoodie pockets. I found my roommates in the kitchen, eating breakfast. Their heads turned in my direction, their eyes widening at the sight of me.

"Tord!? What happened? Are you ok?"

Edd came rushing up to me, but I kept my mouth shut for obvious reasons. I didn't say a word to him as I pushed past, grabbing my plate from the table before turning to leave again. Though someone stood in the way of the exit. I looked up, my glazed over eyes meeting two pitch black ones.

"What the hell, Tord? We argue a little then you run away and lock yourself in your room? What's gotten into you?"

I ignored Tom and walked around him with my plate in hand. Edd and Matt had already finished eating and walked back to their rooms, not wanting to confront me as I was obviously moody. Just as I was about to leave, I felt a hand grab my hoodie, pulling me back with a jolt. I dropped my plate on the floor, rage instantly boiling inside me. I turned around, facing Tom once again. I still kept my mouth shut, not wanting a repeat of yesterday.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Usually you'd be yelling at me and calling me Jehovah's Witness or something at this point. And what's with that bandana around your mouth?"

He reached to grab it off my mouth, and I instantly grabbed his arm in an attempt to hold him back. But I failed to notice his other hand reached my face and quickly pulling down the bandana.

His eyes went wide as he saw my mouth. I'd noticed it this morning as I was looking in the mirror. Dark lines ran from the corner of my mouth to my chin. They were the residue from the ink that poured from it earlier.

He let go of the bandana, his eyes still wide. Though after a while, his face fell to a neutral expression as he took my hand, leading me to his room before shutting his door and locking it. I was confused but didn't dare say a thing.

Tom turned to me when I was in the middle of the room. His eyes weren't as full of hate as earlier. Honestly, they seem a lot... Softer. His face seemed to hold more emotion that before. But what emotion it was, I wasn't sure.

"I'm sorry."

After saying those words, he turned to his closet, searching for something. Meanwhile, I kept quiet, obviously. But my mind didn't. What was he sorry for?

He faced me again when he walked away from the closet, a book in hand. He handed it to me, the page he wanted me to read already open. I sat on the bed, him sitting a few feet away from me. I silently started reading the page, Tom's eyes reading along with me.

My eyes widened as I saw what was in the book. Pictures of people coughing up ink were visible on the sides, the term 'Choke bug' visible in bold at the top.

An infection. It was an infection from a certain type of bug I'd never heard of before. It crawls down your throat, landing in your lungs, producing the black slime that I'd been cursed with since yesterday. It's fatal. No treatment has ever been found. All patients either die from too much ink in their lungs, preventing them from breathing, or starvation as well as dehydration. I realized I hadn't eaten or drunken anything since yesterday. I couldn't get anything down. The black slime only came up my throat when I opened my mouth.

I faced Tom as I almost finished the page. He wore a look of guilt on his face, tears pricking his eyes as he hung his head in shame. I was confused, though it became clear to me as soon as he spoke.

"I didn't think it would work... I was just so angry at you. I wanted you out of my life forever. You just kept annoying the hell out of me. So I... Infected you with the bug."

I looked back down at the page, reading the last part I had missed.

'There are two ways for the cause or spread of the infection. The bug will either make it's way into a person's lungs if it crawls down someone's throat, or through mouth to mouth contact with someone who is already infected. In both cases, the people who have been infected will die. Death usually occurs around 2-3 days after the infection. '

Tears pricked my eyes as I finished reading. There was no way I would survive this. I turned to Tom again. By this point he was crying.

"I didn't mean to do it. I don't like you, but that doesn't mean..."

I hugged him, tears now rolling down my cheeks as I realized what all of this meant. I was going to die. And Tom killed me. Though his next action left me confused until the moment I took my last breath.

He kissed me.

The small gap in my mouth caused more ink to pour from it, but Tom didn't pull away. He stayed still, his lips on mine for a minute, until he pulled away, ink covering the bottom of his chin. We stared into each other's eyes for moments. I was still in shock. I didn't understand the reason he did so, until he turned away from me, bringing his hand to his mouth and coughing into it.

Ink stuck to it when he pulled his hand away. Though a smile tugged at his lips, eyes drooped as he looked at me again.

"I deserve this... You shouldn't suffer alone. I'm s-"

He coughed again, more and more black slime falling from his mouth.

I was confused of how to feel. Tom was my killer, yet he killed himself too out of guilt? Was I supposed to be happy? No. I was going to die. But I have to admit, it felt better knowing I wasn't going to die alone.

Pressure started to press in my lungs, breathing becoming harder for me. Tom noticed, him and I realising my time was very near. We didn't speak. The room was quiet as we shared looks of sadness with each other, my shallow breaths being the only sound heard. I was scared. I didn't want to die, and yet here I was.

The only comfort I had in my last moments were from Tom. Holding me. Kissing me. Making me feel less alone. With my final breath I laid on his chest, eyes falling shut, ink pouring from my opened mouth. It hurt, but it was over in an instance.

Tom kissed my head, laying beside me on the bed as I died. Black filling my mind and lungs when my time was up.

"I'll be with you soon."


	8. Let's talk about MURDER

Tord's pov

Ah, the lovely sounds of screaming.  
Everyone has their own little tune when they do it. Some scream high, some low, some cry, some are completely still if they're boring. Those types of people are the worst. It's no fun seeing the life drain out of them like their blood. It's like they're asking for it.

Hmm... well at least this woman understands pure fear. Just look at her! She's shaking, crying, letting out all of those beautiful sounds as her insides pour out right in front of her eyes. It's glorious.

I could hear some more yelling from outside accompanied by... sirens? Ugh seriously?! Why do those guys always have to ruin my fun?

I let out an annoyed sigh, looking back at the now dead woman lying on the floor, eyes still wide and wound still fresh with blood oozing out. It sent a shiver down my spine before leaving.

**********time skip cuz idk how he got outta the building*********

I was back home, opening a can of cola, the tv running in the background while I sat on the couch. I propped my legs on the coffee table in front of me, feeling accomplished of what I had done today.

The tv channel I had turned on the news channel, 'BREAKING NEWS' written at the bottom of the screen, a woman with a microphone talking in front of a building. The same building I killed that woman in.

Interested, I turned up the volume, listening closely to the report.

"Another murder has been committed here in this quiet neighborhood. The death of 'Emma Jonesworth' was one of many victims over the past month. Over 20 people have been found dead in their homes, their killer, or killers, still remaining a mystery. It seems a serial killer is out on a killing-spree, and we advise all citizens to stay indoors at night and lock all door and windows."

I chuckled proudly at what the woman said. Gotta love that attention my hobby's getting, even if they don't know I'm the one doing it.

Although... thinking more about it I realized something.

People are going to be more careful. I mean... I realized that after the first couple of murders. But those always happened in much bigger and louder neighborhoods. Now that I went for a quiet one... I won't be able to get into any house. I won't be able to quench my thirst for blood and screams. I won't be able to satisfy my hunger for seeing the pain in other people's eyes.

Unless...

I attack a smaller neighborhood.

One a little far from town so the people don't know what's been happening. One with hardly any contact to the outside world. No tvs, no phone.

I smirked, pulling up an old map of all the houses and neighborhoods I wanted to invade. My goal was to get at least 50 people in 2 months, and so far I'm a little behind. I need to step up my game if I want to reach the goal.

Scanning the map, my eyes landed on a small neighbourhood shut off from the outside world. It was a while away from where I live, but hey. People do strange things for pain and pleasure.I circled the area, getting ready to leave as soon as possible. I was getting hungry.

****time skip****

I'd been around this neighbourhood before, getting a sense of the place before I strike. I already knew every house and it's residents by heart.

Brown house with brown roof: Family of four, decent income, no doubt have a TV. Can't go there. White house with red roof: Single mother with two kids, poor income, possible target.

Blue house with black roof:...

Wait... I don't really know much about this house. I've asked around, and apparently a 20-something guy lives here, but that's it. Hardly anyone's seen him...

Which means he doesn't get out much, or have a high paying job, making the chances of him owning a television or phone relatively less than all the other houses.

... Guess I found my prey.

I checked the time, seeing it was 1am. No one was around. Every light I could see through the windows was out, no sound but the wind blowing the autumn leaves was heard.

Time to make my move.

As quietly as I could manage, I snuck up close to the house, taking not of every entry point.Windows: 3. One by the bedroom, one in the living room, and one in the kitchen. Covered with curtains.

Doors: 1. Front of the house. Locked.

I sighed in frustration. This situation was nothing new to me, but it still annoyed the crap out of me. My time and patience was always wearing thin. Why do people have to be so overprotective nowadays?

I decided to enter the house through the living room window. It was far enough away from the bedroom in case something went wrong, and a tree was blocking me from view in case someone got smart and looked outside to see me.

My knife was in a protective case strapped to my leg. It was cold, but the thrill of breaking into a house sent pleasing shivers down my spine, keeping me distracted and excited all at once.

I took note of the locks this man used for his windows. I prayed to whatever god there is that they were bad ones. A couple of rough shakes and they came undone, the window letting out an unpleasant squeak as I opened it. My smirk turned to a cringe as it did so. I got inside as quickly as possible, preparing myself for the task that was yet to come.

I took my knife out of it's case, smiling at the dried blood that was stuck to it. The beautiful remains of my former victims.

Shuffling across the floor, I made it to the start of the hallway. There were a few rooms, 2 on the left and one on the right. I knew from scoping the place out before that the bedroom was located behind the door on the right. I stayed silent for a few seconds, no sound being heard apart from my calm breathing escaping my curled lips.  
This was exciting. Just like every other time.

I placed my feet on the floor carefully, thankful carpet covered the floorboards making my footsteps barely audible. The door was closed, meaning I'd have to open it silently. And I did, thanks to my years of experience dealing with closed doors. I still have to work on closed windows, though...

Eh, I'll remind myself later to practice that..

The door opened without a sound, my heart rate beating faster and faster with every second that went by. I could already hear the screams coming from the man, feel the pain of him trying to hurt me but failing miserably as I stab him.  
I was so excited for it. Ready to strike his sleeping figure.

I pushed the door open to reveal...

An empty bed.

I froze on the spot.

He... he had to be here. He never left his house. I couldn't hear anything coming from any other room. He must be here.

I heard a creak coming from behind me. I turned my head slowly, not knowing what to expect. Until I saw a knife being swung near millimetres from my head. I dodged it just in time to see the person responsible for such an act.

It was a man, seemingly young, with hair going up in a strange fashion. His eyes were completely black, seeming more like empty voids rather than eyes. It was an unusual appearance, but I didn't have enough time to sit and think about it. The man lunged towards me, swinging the knife in an almost graceful manner.

I, of course, swung back, trying my best to take advantage of the situation.

I've never had someone fight back before. This was... delightful. Me having to fight to achieve my goal. Ah, it's really making me feel... strange.

A smile tugged at my lips as I cut his left arm, watching the ruby red blood trickle down and fall to the floor. The man grabbed his arm temporarily, but lunged back at me with full force. He managed to cut my right arm, the fresh wound stinging when the air hit it. I chuckled darkly as I turned back to him, my eyes narrowing.

It was a simple move, but one he didn't see coming. I cut his hand holding the knife. He dropped his weapon, instantly regretting it as I pinned him to the ground, one hand holding his wrists while the other held the knife up to his throat.

He couldn't fight back. I was putting all of my weight onto him, sitting on his lap and getting menacingly close to slitting his throat. I smirked with full knowledge that I had the upper hand. There was no chance of escape for him now.

Though something wasn't right. Every other victim I've killed in the past was screaming at this point. Fear being the only expression their faces could muster.

Yet here, the man laying under me with a knife to his face and no chance of survival, was staring at me with a bored expression.

I was honestly confused. He was about to die, yet showed no fear of that fact. Everything was still for a few minutes, him apparently growing more and more annoyed.

"Are you gonna kill me or what?!"

He barked at me, catching me off guard. I looked back at him confused.

"You're not scared?"

He scoffed.

"Oh please. I would've done this myself sometime anyway."

That line made me freeze. He wanted to die? None of my victims have ever wanted to die. This was something I'd never expected before. But... that doesn't matter. I need to focus on the task at hand. Which was... killing the man under me.

I held the knife tightly, keeping it very close to his throat. It would be so easy. So... why was I hesitating? The man noticed this, him getting agitated again. He sighed, giving me an impatient look.

"Come on. What are you waiting for? Kill me!"

I started breathing heavily. What was I waiting for? This was the perfect situation to murder him!  
...So why haven't I done it yet?!

"Kill Me!!"

Was it because he wasn't afraid? Maybe I wouldn't enjoy killing him unless he was screaming?

"KILL ME!!"

He kept yelling, not for me to spare his life, but to end it. This was so new. Nothing I'd ever expected to happen. I... couldn't possibly kill this person. I don't know why, but there was something holding me back.

"KILL ME!!"

My body moved quicker than my mind, dropping the knife and letting go of his wrists. He was shocked at first, but not as shocked as when I grabbed his head with my free hands and kissed him.

I had no idea what was going on. Why I was kissing a stranger I had intended to kill. But I didn't pull back. Not until I felt his lips pressing onto mine as well.

I pulled away after a few moments, seeing the stunned look on his face. I didn't bother wasting another second there, so I stood up, grabbing my knife and walking towards the kitchen window again. I turned around, seeing the man still sitting bewildered on the floor.

I smirked, opening the window, getting ready to leave. But first, I turned back to him.

"Tord."

"Wh-what?"

"My name. I'm Tord."

I saw him gulp slightly, earning a chuckle from myself.

"T-Tom.."

"Well, Tom," I put my leg outside the window, getting ready to jump out.  
"...See you again soon."

I gave him a devilish grin as I left, remembering the slight smirk on his lips as I said that.I chuckled, walking away from his house at a quickened pace. I could already tell I was going to return to this house again soon.

It was only a matter of time until I do.


	9. Remember me

Tord's pov

A beautiful summer's day spent at the beach. How perfect. Picnic basket with us, an umbrella stuck in the golden sand, the wind kissing our skin softly.

It was days like these that I miss the most. When we were all together.

I looked to my left, seeing Tom laying on a towel, reading a book. Edd and Matt were playing some stupid game in the water, which left me alone with my wonderful boyfriend.

I used my fingers to seem like they were walking across his bare back. He turned to me, a goofy smile resting on his face. He giggled playfully.

Dear God I miss hearing that giggle...

"Pff stop teasing me and get over here."

He pulled my shirt collar, bringing my entire upper body near his face. He kissed me tenderly, my arms snaking around his body and resting on his hips. I chuckled softly, not caring about the sand that was sticking to my back.

"Get a room!"

Edd and Matt were still in the water, pointing at us and giggling. I rolled my eyes and Tom chuckled. I let go of him, standing up and holding my hand out.

"Care to go for a swim, m'lady?"

Tom took my hand, punching my arm when he stood up.

"Fuck you!"

He turned around and walked off, scoffing and acting offended. I laughed, running after him and picking him up from the waist. He gasped in surprise before I twirled him around, hearing the wonderful giggles that escaped his lips.

I changed the position Tom was in, having him rest in my arms as I carried him bridal style to the water. His arms were slung around my neck, pulling me in closer, his hot breath on my skin making me shiver with pleasure. He kissed my neck softly, almost convincing me not to drop him in the water like I had planned to do.

Almost.

He fell into the water with a splash, Edd and Matt joining us and laughing as Tom stared red-faced at me. He lunged at me, though I dodged his attack with ease, chuckling at his attempt.It was such a good day. It was probably the last good day I'd ever had.

A few hours later, we were all back home, Tom laying on the bed breathless as I held him close to my naked chest, our clothes meters away on the floor. He smiled widely, a deep red blush still visible even with the lights turned off. I happily returned the smile, finding no reason to keep it hidden. I was happy, after all.

Tom faced me, his eyelids drooped and breath still quick and heavy.

"I... love you... soo much, Tord."

He panted in between his words, earning an amused smile from myself. I pulled him in for a sweet kiss, breaking away after a few moments of bliss.

"I love you too, Thomas."

He cuddled me closer. I could feel his heartbeat through his skin, noticing a fast rhythm to it. It did calm down a while later as he fell asleep to me playing with his hair. I remember seeing his beautiful resting face. He looked so calm and peaceful.

It was the last time I ever saw him like that.

Because that was the night I got the message.

It was a short message from my close friend, Pat. Yet those few words meant so much.

'Tonight's the night, Red Leader.'

I could already feel the hot, stinging tears that ran down my face. I'd been living in fear of this evening for years, knowing my choice would someday come back and haunt me. I knew what the risks were. I knew what I would lose if I went through with this. But it had to be done.

'Thank you, Pat. I'll see you tomorrow.'

I heard shuffling from the bed behind me, and I turned to face a sleepy and confused Tom looking at me.

"Tord...? What are you doing?"

I gave him a small kiss on his lips, caressing his jawline with my thumb.

"I just have to go work on something in my room. Go back to sleep, min kjærlighet."

Due to his sleepiness, he didn't bother asking anymore questions and simply nodded, giving me a peck on my cheek before snuggling under the bed covers.

It wasn't long before I heard small snores coming from my boyfriend. A smile tugged at my lips, one of care mixed with... sadness. I knew that would be the last time I would ever kiss him.

Before leaving the room, I made sure to erase any evidence that I had ever been there. I got dressed and grabbed my phone, turning to face Tom's sleeping figure one final time before heading to my room.

Once I entered it, I locked the door, pulling the lever I had placed a picture over when it was installed. My lab rose from the ground, blueprints stuck to it's walls and two small devices set on top of a table.

One labeled "Memory eraser gun" and the other "Artificial reality". I would have to use both in order for this to work.

My plan was simple, relatively speaking. Shoot my friends with the memory eraser gun and shoot them again with the other gun. One which would lead them to believe a reality where Tom and I were mortal enemies, never showing affection to each other in any way.

It sounded to easy on paper, but almost impossible when put in action.

...Almost.

Edd was first.  
I opened his door as quietly as possible, making sure he was still asleep when I got close enough to him. I aimed the gun at him and pulled the trigger. If it worked properly, his memory should have been completely erased. I carefully fired the second gun at him. The one holding the biggest lie I could ever have thought up.

A reality where I hated Tom.

Edd never woke up during the entire process, a fact I was eternally thankful for.  
Matt didn't wake up either. In fact, all I could hear was his snoring which seemed to distract me from my guilty conscious long enough to fire the guns.

But when it was Tom's turn, I hesitated.

I remember shaking as I held the gun to his head, almost begging myself not to do this. I kept my whimpers silent, trying not to wake my lover up. I looked away as I pulled the trigger, continuing to hold myself back from falling apart.

I managed that long enough to shoot the second gun and run as quickly as possible to my room, locking the doors and breaking down on my bed.

I can never forget the pain I felt that night. My heart ached, my mouth was dry, my body was shaking tremendously. I hit my fist on the bed repeatedly, crying Tom's name as quietly as I could manage.

I didn't sleep that night. When morning came my hair was a mess and I had visible bags under my eyes. I looked at my clock, seeing that the time was 6:27am.

I sighed, groaning as I got off the bed and walked to my closet. On the floor, I saw 2 suitcases, all packed and ready to be taken with later today.

I had planned for this day months in advance. The fake reality I had created for my roommates made them believe I was going to go to the 'big city' today and never return. If everything went according to plan, they wouldn't be surprised in the slightest when I go. Not to mention, I'd have to play along with Tom and pretend to fight with him.

8am rolled around slowly. Edd and Matt had greeted me when I was in the kitchen, making breakfast. They looked pretty upset. Probably because I was going to leave. But a part of me still thinks they just seemed sadder when I wasn't together with Tom. I had no way of being sure.

"So... when are uhm, l-leaving?"

Edd was having a hard time getting his words out. It broke my heart seeing him and Matt so devastated. We weren't very close, but they were still dear friends to me. I gave him a sad smile.

"In about thirty minutes."

We ate our breakfast silently. I was growing concerned about Tom. He should've already woken up by now.

He eventually showed up at 8:17am. He strolled into the living room where Edd, Matt, and I were talking about where I would be moving to. Tom walked in with a smug smile on his face; something I'd hardly ever seen from him before.

"Hello, guys! Isn't it such a lovely day without that Commi- oh you're still here."

He expression turned disappointed as his eyes landed on me. I could practically feel my heart shattering at the sight of it. I never thought it would hurt me this much...

"Y-yeah I'm leaving in ten minutes..."

He shrugged before walking back to his room.

"Tell me when he's leaving! I wanna party as soon as he's gone!"

Ouch. Never thought I'd hear that from the man who shared himself with me.

The time came quicker than I'd honestly wanted it to. The whole gang was saying their final goodbyes to me. I tried not to let my emotions get the best of me as I said my farewell to Tom. He gave me an annoyed look and scoffed, rolling his 'eyes'.

"Goodbye... Old friends..."

I waved to them one final time before hearing Tom retort with words that had kept me up every night for the past decade.

"I'm not your friend."

The army was a lot bigger to me back then. I had fresh ideas and new motivation to be the best leader I could be for my soldiers. Being the Red Leader was the perfect distraction from Tom. At least during the day.

Nights, my biggest regrets came back and haunted me. I thought of Tom every night. His peaceful face when he's asleep, his flushed cheeks when we pulled back from a kiss, and... the look of annoyance the last time he saw me before I left.

I suppose it was a blessing when Tom joined my army with Edd and Matt. Their intentions to do so remains a mystery to me to this day. I don't think I can forget how they all looked at me when we met again. I was shocked when they gave me a hug after I offered them positions in my army.

Somehow they forgave me for betraying them and destroying the house.

Well... Edd and Matt did.

Tom continued to despise me. He would keep his distance from me, despite that being difficult with the position as my personal assistant. Now that Tom was back, I wanted to be as close to him as possible, even if he didn't understand why.

The fake reality was still programmed into his mind. My every move seems like an attack towards him, even though that would never be my intention.

It's been ten years since the last time we kissed. Ten years without holding him in my arms. Ten years without sleeping peacefully.

I couldn't go on like this.

It was late in the afternoon as I called Tom to my office. I'd been rehearsing what I was going to say to him all day yet when he entered my office, my mind went blank.

"You asked to see me, sir?"

The tone in his voice was apathetic, making it clear he didn't want to be there with me.I cleared my throat before standing up from my chair and walking up to him.

"Yes, Thomas..."

I stood quiet for a few moments, Tom's patience visibly decreasing.

"Well what is it?"

I opened my mouth to speak, yet no words came out. I couldn't find the right things to say. He hated me. He hated me because... I wanted him to.

But not anymore. I'd give anything for him to love me again.

Minutes passed by, the only sounds heard were from Tom tapping his foot on the ground, signalling his impatience.

After a while, he let out an annoying sigh, turning his heel and beginning to walk away from me.

"Why did you even call me here if you had nothing to say? I do have important work to get-"

"Wait."

I grabbed Tom's hand, keeping him from leaving the room. I didn't stop holding his it, even when he turned around and faced me.

"What do you want?!"

I kept a firm grasp on his hand, taking a small step closer to him.

"... What are you doing?"

He leaned away from me, trying to get out of my reach as I lifted my other hand.

"Please, Thomas..."

I brought my hand closer to his face, his expression growing more concerned and confused with every second.

"...just..."

I placed my hand on his cheek, feeling the warmth resonating off his skin.

I leaned my forehead against his, seeing the perplexed expression he wore on his face.

I missed being this close to him. More than anything in the world.

I closed my eyes as tears threatened to fall.

"... Remember me."


	10. Love bites

Tom's pov

I never believed in supernatural stuff. Not when I was a kid, and especially not now. Not on Halloween, not when the full moon's out, not when the newspaper article said something about Vampires draining the blood out of people.  
Nope.  
Monsters, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, none of those exist.

So what am I staring at right now? A man in my living room with pale skin and fangs. Horns for hair and hearts for pupils in his eyes. It was late at night, I had just gotten out of bed when I heard quiet footsteps from the living room of my small apartment.

Now me, being an alcoholic who makes stupid mistakes like buying a gun without a licence, took out my rifle from under my pillow and made my way into the living room.

There, I saw him. Standing mere meters away from me. I immediately pointed my gun at him, being careful of the steps I take as I made my way closer to him. 

To my surprise, he didn't even notice me until I had the end of the rifle poking his back. He didn't move. He didn't even breath. But I didn't notice that at the time.

"I want straight answers and I want them now."

Before I could open my mouth again, I felt a rush of wind around me, the man disappearing in front of my eyes. I was stunned for a moment, before feeling two arms wrap around my waist and pull me closer to someone. 

I dropped the gun and tried prying the arms off of my body, turning my head to face whoever was doing such an act. My wide eyes were instantly met with two purple ones, red hearts glowing as pupils.

"Let- go o-of.. me!" 

It was getting exceptionally harder to breath, the man pulling me uncomfortably close to his body. He brought his mouth close to my ear, his warm breath hitting my skin. He whispered to me in a lustful tone, making shivers run down my spine unconsciously.

"Oh dear, sweet Tommy. I've been waiting for this night for so long."

I tried harder and harder to escape his grip, finally coming to the realization that this man would never let go. He seemed to have some kind of superhuman strength.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!"

I tried yelling, screaming, kicking, anything to get out of his grasp. But he never let go.

"Don't worry, my dearest. I would never hurt you. I will only love you for eternity."

With that, I felt a sharp pain in my neck, causing me to throw my head back and unintentionally moan. It felt like two needles had pierced my skin, noticeably drawing blood and making me weak. I lost the ability to stand, the man dragging me to the couch and laying me down gently. I felt the touch of lips being pressed against mine as I struggled to keep my eyes open. Darkness consumed me, my mind going blank as the lips pulled away from mine, making me already miss the touch.

When I opened my eyes again, it seemed like no time had passed since I fell asleep. The room was still dark, the only light being from the moon shining through my window. I looked around me, noticing an empty chair next to me and blood on the cushion beside my shoulder. I reached my hand to touch my neck, but stopped when I saw my arm. My skin had turned relatively pale, as if my blood had been drawn from my entire body.

I turned my head to the hallways when I heard footsteps approaching.

"Ah! You're awake! And your transition seems to have been a success! What wonderful news, my love."

The man with horned hair came walking up to me, taking my hand in one of his and using the other to caress my cheek. I leaned into the touch, taking note of how his black pupils turned to red hearts as he looked at me. I had no idea what was happening, who this man was, or why he was lovingly touching my cheek. 

All I knew was I wanted more.

"Who are you?"

I moved in closer to him, our faces inches apart.

"My name is Tord, dearest."

Our lips brushed up against each other, eyes drooping and breath deepening. He let go of my hand, moving his own to hold my waist as I moved mine to sling around his neck.

"I-I'm Tom..." 

My voice was almost a whisper as I gazed into his eyes, the red hearts seemingly glowing at the sight of me.

"I know."

I placed my lips on his, feeling his pushing back on mine. I ran my hand through his hair, loving the feeling of his hot breath hitting my cold skin. I had no idea what had gotten into me.

Something just... drew me to this man. I knew I would never kiss a stranger in my right mind, especially not one who broke into my house and bit me.

But I didn't want to leave. 

Well... I did. 

But some part of me took over, causing me to grab him by his shirt and pull him to lay on top of me. Next thing I knew, Tord was sinking his teeth into my flesh, causing me to yelp in surprise. Though I didn't mind it. I moaned out slightly, strangely enjoying the feeling of my blood being drained from my body. Not that there was much left, anyway.

He attacked my neck, leaving marks and bites all over. I loved it though. I loved having my body used as his canvas, painting it with his affection. His teeth dragging along my pale flesh, my cold skin warming up at his touch. His eyes glowing brighter with every passing moment. I'm sure if I could see myself right now, my eyes would be glowing, too. 

Everything seemed to take on a dark purple colour, Tord being the only thing coloured blue. I love the colour blue. It's as if I was drawn to it, like a moth to the light. 

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling, noticing how every part of my body burned with desire, something I'd never felt before.

"Everything ok, dearest?"

Tord caressed my sides as I nodded slowly, smiling and showing off the fangs that had appeared not long ago.

"Yes, my darling. Everything is wonderful."

He leaned in a kissed me again, taking my shirt off absentmindedly. I smirked against his lips, loving this newfound attention. I loved the warmth covering my body, the touch of a man I barely know, the sting from the marks and bites I had newly acquired.

The love bites.

Carrying me to the bedroom and shutting the door with a thud, I looked at Tord's face with pure lust, a smirk growing ever more on our faces.

AND

THEN

THEY

FUCKED.


	11. Trees and memories

Tom's pov

My favourite tree peeked over the roofs of a few houses in the distance. Its branches long and unmistakable. I'd recognize the place I grew up in a mile away.

I sauntered down the concrete sidewalk, the cracks in the ground seeming unfamiliar and odd. I used to know every part of this street when I was a kid. Now, I'm confused how the ditch in the road came to be, instead of filling it with water and stomping in it.  
I loved doing that. 

The roads were always quiet and were hardly used, despite being close to the heart of the town.

Mrs Jason's house. I wonder if she still lives there. She was a nice, old lady, full of interesting stories and a passion for baking. A typical grandmother, I'd say. Despite not having any of her own, she adored children. After all, my friends and I were the ones who visited her the most.

My friends... Edd and Matt. I chucked at the thought of them. I remember going around to their houses often. We tried starting a band together once. Heh... That didn't turn out very well. Edd could hardly play an instrument and Matt wasn't as good at singing as he had hoped. We still wrote a few songs together, despite never playing them.

We had promised to grow up together. Live in a house together after school. But... I suppose when I moved we drifted apart. Hardly staying in contact. It was mostly my fault. I was too busy getting over my high school love disaster, Tord.

I eventually made it to my childhood home, smiling warmly at the mailbox, a smiley face still drawn on it. My tree was casting a large shadow over the house, the roof seeming much darker than my favourite shade of blue. The windows still had a few cracks, a broken off piece here and there. One still remaining from when I had thrown a ball at it in anger after I learned what my parents had planned for us.

I never wanted to move away. I had spent 16 years of my life in this house. This place meant everything to me. I had friendship, education, and even..

Love.

But they didn't listen. This place was just 'too quiet'. It didn't have enough 'action'.

What idiots. As soon as I turned 18, I left the godawful place we moved to and never spoke to my parents again. I should've left sooner. I wasn't a real part of the family to begin with.

My eyes wandered down the road, recognizing every house I grew up next to. I stopped looking when I noticed one a few houses away.

It was small, surrounded by a red fence, a gate with a broken lock in the middle. I remember that house the best out of all of them. It was Tord's house.

I still remember how we got together. He came up to me with a guitar in hand, serenading me with a love song he wrote. I felt my cheeks get warm at the memory. He wasn't the best at playing guitar, but he knew enough to play a few chords. At the end of his song, he pulled out a blue flower and handed it to me. I remember taking it with tears in my eyes. It was probably the happiness moment I'd ever had. 

From then on, we spent every afternoon together. Whether it was with Edd and Matt, or just us two, we never left each other's side.

He used to call me his Blue Bear, thinking Boo Bear was too cheesy and impersonal. I always thought it was a strange name, but I grew to like it. It was a name to tell me that everything was ok. That I was safe. And loved. He was always there for me, ready to hold my hand and hug me- kiss me when I needed it.

He gave me a lot to remember, like our first kiss under the moon, sneaking out after midnight to watch a horror movie, skinny dipping in the lake in the park...

My feet moved on their own, and I found myself standing meters away from Tord's gate, realizing where I was once I snapped out of my thoughts. The house looked a little run down, but was in much better shape than mine. I had heard something about Tord's mother passing away a couple of years ago.  
He never grew up with a father, so I often wondered who would take care of him or if he moved away. He probably did. Most likely selling this house to a nice couple who take good care of it.

Yeah, that sounds like Tord.

I walked back to my old home, the light wind brushing my skin and moving my hair around. I didn't mind, though. I was deep in thought again. Thinking about how my friends reacted when I told them I had to leave. 

They were devastated. 

My parents never let me own a phone or any kind of laptop, so I couldn't stay in contact with them. We wrote letters a few times, but after a while, they stopped coming. I'm guessing the letters somehow got lost or something.  
At least, that's what I'm hoping. 

Edd gave me a can of cola before I left, Matt giving me a portrait of himself. They were strange gifts, but I they meant a lot to me. It hurt saying goodbye to them. Their saddened faces seemed so out of place. I was so used to seeing the cheery, wide eyes smile they both wore. Instead, it was replaced with a drowsy frown and a pitiful wave goodbye.

Their reactions were nothing like Tord's though. He was beyond upset, avoiding me the moment I told him what was going to happen. He didn't speak to me until the day I had to leave, avoiding any interaction I tried to have with him. 

The pain I felt from that was worse than any other. My heart even ached as I thought about it. I sat down on the steps of my childhood home, looking at the shadows on the path in front of me. I did this on my final day here, too. I sat on these exact steps, waiting for the car to come and for my parents to bring our luggage out. I knew it would take another hour or so for that to happen, but I couldn't face going back inside. 

I remembered crying as I saw a leaf fall from my tree. Such a small act, yet such a large impact. I wanted to scream at my parents, throw my suitcase across the ground and run away, faster and further than possible. I just wanted to get away from the nightmare I was living. It was hell.  
Until a familiar shadow linked with mine. I looked up, seeing Tord with a single blue flower in his hand, a broken expression on his face. I hadn't seen him for a month, thinking he would never speak to me after I told him we were moving. But I was wrong. And I was so glad I was.

He held the flower out to me, kissing me tenderly, something I had missed for so long. He pulled out a ring, one made of plastic with a small heart painted on it. It wasn't a real ring, but it meant the same thing to me. I'll never forget what he whispered in my ear as he slipped it on my finger.

"One day, when we meet again, this will be real gold."

The last kiss and loving look he gave me as we said our goodbyes are things I'll treasure forever, just like the plastic ring I still wore on my hand. 

Even now, as I sit in the shade of my favourite tree, enjoying the peaceful afternoon. I could hear a few children laughing in the distance, probably playing in someone's back yard. I rested a smile on my face and closed my eyes, the breeze mixed with the warm sun made for an ideal temperature. It was relaxing.

I didn't open my eyes for what felt like hours. Not when the children stopped playing in the distance, not when the sun started to leave the sky, and especially not when I heard footsteps arrive near my tree, a person sitting down beside me. I smiled as I felt a warm hand wrap around mine, the touch being one I could never forget. Not even if I tried

"Hello, Blue Bear. Long time no see."


	12. Little girl

"She's so beautiful. I love her..."

Tom gave his little angel a kiss on the forehead, earning an open mouthed smile from his sweetheart and an embrace from his husband.

"You know, at first I wasn't sure I was ready for this... But I know I am now."

Tord kissed his lover, both men melting into the touch of their lips together. They pulled away to see their darling playing with a toy on the ground, their hearts warming up even more at the sight.

"She's the most amazing gift I could've gotten from you. Sure it took a while for her to come here, but it was worth it."

Tord nodded at his partner's words, remembering how stressful it was to bring her into their lives. Many people told them that two men can't take care of another life together. There needed to be a caring mother, not two fathers. But they got through it, finally adding the sunshine they've wanted for years into their daily lives.

"Things are going to get a lot more stressful around here. And more energetic, I'd say."

The two chuckles as they watched their little girl run around the living room, her mouth open and tail wagging with joy.

She was a dog.

Eh it was pretty obvious, but I'll still say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> April Fools.


	13. Manipulative

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dom tom

"I did what you asked."

Tord was standing in front of his 'boss,' the freshly used gun still in hand.

"Just how I told you?"

The man's voice was stern, his expression dark as he turned around to his inferior. His eyes were covered by the tophat he wore, only a devilish smile visible on his lips.

"Yes, Tom. Just how you told me."

The devil's smile turned to a frown with clenched teeth as he placed his hands around Tord's throat, chocking him as Tord's eyes welled up with tears.

"I commanded you never to call me by my name."

Tord tried his best to nod, sputtering out an apology. Tom let go of his grip, the smaller man falling to the floor and taking deep, shaky breaths.

The smirk returned to the devil's face as he knelt down to Tord's level, placing a finger under his chin, forcing the smaller to face him. His cheeks were covered with tears, his pained expression still frozen.

Yet it melted as Tom gave him a deep, long kiss. Tord whined slightly as it was over.

"Quiet. You want more, you have to do more... like your next assignment."

Tom pulled a folder out of his coat, dropping it on the floor in front of Tord. He began walking away again, a smirk pulling at his lips.

"I expect it to be taken care of by tonight."

Tord opened the folder, seeing his next target was a blonde-haired woman with blue eyes. Owner of a jewelry store, loves puppies, and apparently one of Tom's ex girlfriends. It wasn't surprising. Tom was a very attractive man, especially to Tord. Though he still felt a little anger towards the woman, jealousy building up inside him. He looked up to Tom again, hoping to get some kind of proof that he had Tom all to himself.

"C-can I at least have one more kiss? For motivation..?"

Tom turned back and looked at him with an amused face, his hand holding the doorhandle of

the room."We both know you have to earn my affection, Tord. It doesn't come for free. But uh... we'll see what happens after tomorrow's assignment, yeah? You might get what you always wanted~"

And with that, he left the room, thoughts flooding Tord's mind as he stayed put on the ground.

'Tomorrow's assignment? If I do it I'll get...'

Tord immediately perked up, a lovesick expression on his face. The thought of Tom being that close aroused him. There was no better motivation he could have dreamed of.But one step at a time. He needed to get this assignment done first.

*****time skipppppppppp*****

Tord's pov

I scoffed as I saw the dead woman in front of me. Her once blonde hair was now soaked in the blood leading from her head, a bullet wound responsible for the action. Well... multiple bullet wounds. I really hated the idea of her being together with my soulmate.

I skipped happily up to my lovebug, giving him the widest smile I could manage.

"Done!"

I let out a playful giggle, seeing a smirk grow on his face.

"Really? That was quick..."

I gave him a fast nod. I could tell he was pleased. Maybe he'll show it, too.  
He came closer to me, making my breath audibly hitch. I love being this close to him.He gave me a lustful smirk, kissing my lips roughly and pushing me against the wall. I immediately kissed him back, breaking it as soon as he moved to my neck. He sucked and bit down on different parts of my skin, marks already forming. I let out a few shaky moans, my breathing quickening with every mark he made.

He loves me so much.

He pulled away after a while, me immediately missing the feeling of being so close and intimate with him.

I whined, hearing his low chuckle as he turned away from me.

"Tomorrow, Tord. If you do it, I promise you'll get more."

My heart started racing. What assignment could possibly get me that?! Well... Whatever it is, there's no way I'm turning it down.

"Can I already have the assignment? Pleeease?"

I basically pleaded as I got closer to his face, pouting slightly. He growled and pushed me away.  
"I already put the folder on your desk for tomorrow. Unless you want us to be over, you should wait. Or do you want us to stop what we're doing?"

My eyes immediately widened with fear, my heart almost stopping as he turned around.

"NO! I never want us to be over! I'm sorry! I'll wait until tomorrow!!"

I was honestly on the verge of crying at this point. I don't ever want to lose Tom. He's my soulmate. He's my everything. I'm willing to do anything for his love. He turned back to me, smirking and propping my chin up with his finger. I gave me a tender peck on the lips, an action I was all too familiar with.

"Good. I have absolute faith in you, my dear. Get the job done. Then we'll talk."

**********TiMe SkIp CuZ y ThE hElL nOt**********

I couldn't sleep that night. I tossed and turned in bed, wondering what could possibly be in that folder. I had to know. I had to.Once I made it to my desk, the first thing I did was pick up the sheets of card and open it up, revealing many pieces of paper. My heart dropped like my jaw as I saw who my next victims were.

"Edd Golde and Matt Harsworth"

...My two best friends.

Eyes widening, chest tightening, my heart hurt as I was struck with realization. If I wanted Tom's love I would have to give up two of the most important people in my life.

I already had to kill my parents to get my first kiss with him. It wasn't a big deal to me, honestly. They were never parents to me to begin with. They never cared about me. But Edd and Matt did.

I read the assignment further.

Task: Assassinate Edd Golde and Matt Harsworth.Time: 24 hours starting at 00:00am.Weapon: Your choice.Reward: Your deepest desire.

My eyes wandered over to the clock. It read 6:12am. I had enough time to get the job done. But the question was... could I? Would I? I wanted Tom's love more than anything, but was I willing to do this for it?

I took the folder, walking out of the room and down the dark, damp hallway. I found myself standing in front of Tom's door, a smile unconsciously making it's way to my lips. I knocked on the door before entering, my eyelids drooping at the sight of my beloved.  
"Tord? What the hell do you want?"

I walked up to him holding the folder out. He looked at me in confusion.

"Is there anything else I could do? I'd rather not kill my best friends-"

"There's no other way, my dear. If you do this, it proves your loyalty to me. And next time, the reward would be easier to earn. Now go off and get the job done."

"W-what if I.. don't do it?"

He sat in silence for a moment, a slight whimper coming from my throat. I knew from past experience if he went quiet like this, it was never good.

"It would pain me, but I'd have to let you go. I'd know you were never truly loyal to me."

Minutes go by after he said that, not a single sound coming from the both of us. He kept his back turned to me, and I eventually made up my mind, leaving the room quickly as soon as I did.

******time skip*******

"T-Tord?! W-what are you doing?!"

My face stayed stoic as I saw Edd's broken expression, Matt lying on the ground clutching his stomach in pain. A puddle of red blood was growing on the floor as his wound opened up more and more.

My heart would've ached to see him this way, if only I could've cared at that moment. The only thing on my mind was Tom, the thought of him placing a hand on my shoulder as I pointed the gun at my friends gave me confidence.  
Motivation.  
"I-I... I thought w-we were friends! What the hell are you th-thinking?!"

Edd's words went through one ear and out the other. I tuned out what he was saying, thinking only of my beloved waiting for me, an endearing smile on his face. I felt Edd lunge at me, trying to pull the gun away from my hand. I reacted immediately, pulling my arm away and pushing my friend to the ground.

Matt was laying down by now, his eyes closed completely and his breathing still. Edd looked at me with hate in his eyes, mixed with slight fear and disappointment. I couldn't blame him.

Though in my defense, it only made me want this more. The reward would be worth it.I didn't hesitate to shoot my friend in the chest, crimson blood leaking from his corpse as he fell limp to the cold ground. He never took his eyes off me, tears marked down his cheeks.  
Minutes after I killed them, I was struck with a wave of guilt. It traveled around my body, the pain too great for me to handle. I came to my senses, finally realizing what I had done. I murdered my two closest friends. I hardly even remembered doing it. I fell to my knees, water beginning to pour out of my eyes.

Why... why did I do that?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!

I hugged my knees close to my chest, feelings of regret taking over my body as I came closer to my friends, hardly being able to look at their lifeless bodies. The floor was covered on blood, some getting on my own clothes, though I didn't even notice. I was too caught up in my mind, trying to contemplate my actions.

Was that even... me? I would never do anything like this...

My thoughts were interrupted by a call on my phone. I picked it up, hearing the sweetest, most comforting voice of my beloved come through on the other line.

"Did you get the job done?"

I dried my tears, nodding and sputtering out an affirmative mumble. I could almost feel him smirking on the other line.

"Good job, my dear. I'll be waiting for you to get your reward. You deserve it."

I felt warm just by hearing him talk to me in such a gentle tone. It was like he was caressing my cheek as we spoke, his body so close yet so far.

"I'll be right over..."

After the call ended, I stepped over the dead bodies spread out on the ground. Why did I ever regret doing this? I'll finally get what I've always wanted. As I glanced back at my former friends, I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.

...........................................................

Tom was waiting for me like he said he was, laying on my bed with his tophat thrown on the floor. He smirked as I closed the door, leaning against it with a wide smile showing on my lips. His face darkened, morphing into a lustful gaze as he gestured for me to come over. I bit my lip, doing as he requested.

My breathing was fast, clothing was strewn across the room, body hot and filled with pleasure all over. I had tears rolling out of my eyes, my mouth wide open and dry as I let out lustful moans. Tom's smirk never ceased to exists, blood rolling off his back from my nails as they dug into his skin. It seemed like there was no area on my body that wasn't covered in bites or bruises, no part of me that didn't beg for more.

This is what I wanted all along. This was what every assignment had been building up to. The moment when I'd finally be as close to Tom as I possibly can be. This moment was now. And it was more than worth it.

He loves me so, so much.


	14. Camping trip

"Pff, Tord. You suck at four in a row."

"Oh yeah? Well you suck at living. You should stop doing it."

"Ooh what a burn! I'm gonna feel that one for a few days. Ouch."

"Ha ha. Your sarcasm never ceases to amaze me. Neither does your lack of brain activity."

"At least mine brain isn't filled to the brim with hentai and anime girls."

"Yeah, yours is filled with alcohol."

"GUYS. SHUT UP. IT'S 3 IN THE MORNING!"

A cranky Edd interrupted the two men as they were just about to get things a lot more heated.

"He started it!"

Tord pointed a finger at Tom like a child, dooming his opponent to face Edd's wrath. But instead, all he got was a long groan coming from both his green hoodied friend, as well as his hated nemesis.

"Commie, I didn't come on this trip to be blamed for telling the truth."

"It's not even the truth! We weren't done playing. I could've beaten you."

"ENOUGH. GO TO SLEEP. OR I SWEAR I'M GOING TO COME BACK AND HIT YOU IN THE HEAD WITH MY LUCKY CAN. GOOD NIGHT."

Edd exited the tent, leaving Tom and Tord alone again. Tom sighed.

"Who's idea was it to play games at 3am again?"

Tom's voice made it clear he was back to his regular self, no longer yelling at his red counterpart.

"Yours. You couldn't sleep, remember?"

Tord's lips curled up mockingly, remembering how Tom shook him up out of fear. He claimed to have heard a noise outside and insisted on staying up until the coast was clear.  
That was 4 hours ago.  
"Right... why'd we play four in a row?"

Tom yawned after asking, clearly lacking the rest he and his opponent desired.  
"Eh, something about 'I need to take my mind off the noise outside so we should play a stupid game to distract me.' I don't know why we kept playing though. You were obviously losing every round."

Even though that wasn't true, Tom simply nodded and laid back down in his sleeping bag. He was too tired to argue with the Norski any longer.

"Let's just go to sleep, ok? I don't want to face Edd like that again."

Tord nodded in response, laying down as well before turning off the lamp next to him.

"G'night, Jehovah."

Tord wrapped himself in the sleeping bag, shutting his eyes and resting his face.

"Mhmm whatever, Commie."

Tom did the same, eventually preparing himself to sleep.

Though when Tom heard soft snores coming from Tord, he sat up, walking over to the Norski's sleeping bag. He lightly shook Tord, enough to get him to wake up.

"Wha-t do you w-ant?"

Tord slurred his words together, trying his best to stay awake and find out what the annoying Brit wanted.

"I heard the noise again... Can I sleep beside you tonight?"

Tord groaned, turning away from Tom. He was secretly smirking under his blanket, enjoying the moment he'll probably ever get again.

Tom asking to sleep in his bed. With him. He was definitely going to use this against him one day.

Tord settled his face to a glare before apathetically scooting to the side. Tom snuggled into the sleeping bag beside Tord, turning his body away from him.

The two laid in silence for a bit, Tord's rhythmic breaths being the only thing Tom could focus on. Thinking the other was asleep, Tom turned around and moved closer to Tord, snaking his arm around Tord's body. He enjoyed the warmth he gave off before closing his eyes, ready to fall asleep.

"There was no noise outside, was there?"

"Nope."

Both men fell asleep with smirks on their faces and arms laced around each other.


	15. Blink and you'll miss it

Tom's pov

The first time I saw him, was the morning when I decided to take the subway to my new job. I had recently moved to London, getting away from my old home. I had gotten a job as a salesman, my work being around 20 minutes away from my apartment. The subway station was around the corner of my house, being perfect for my situation.

It was a Monday morning, 7:25am. I sat down on a seat, holding my bag to my body closely and making sure I wasn't going to miss my stop.

My eyes darted around the car as I spotted a man standing a few meters away from me, scrolling through something on his phone. His hair stood out first to me, as it was shaped like horns. Though strangely enough, it fit his look. He wore a red hoodie and black jeans, having a piercing in his ear. His appearance was strangely mesmerizing. I felt somehow drawn to him.

I didn't notice I was staring until he looked up, his eyes wandering in my direction. I quickly turned away, seeming to be staring at something in the distance. After a while, I gazed back to him, my eyes widening by what I saw.  
Or more like... what I didn't see.  
He was gone.

'Strange...' I thought to myself.  
'I didn't realize we already got to the next stop-'

I didn't think much about it for the first day. I was probably too distracted by looking away from him.

The next day though, I was beginning to get a little more concerned. I saw him again, this time reading the newspaper. He was sitting in a seat on the other side of the cart. There weren't many spaces available, so I sat facing him a few meters away. I did that same as the day before, staring at him without realizing until he tilted his head up, my eyes darting out the window again.

Once again, I turned back to look at him, and noticed he was gone. His seat was completely empty, and no one even batted an eye. My mouth hung open. I knew for a fact that the next stop was still a few minutes away. He couldn't have gotten off.

This continues for a few days.  
I watched him everyday, not only because I was drawn to his appearance, but because... I had to know what I was going on. I watched him closely, day in, day out. Every morning, he'd read something, I'd stare at him until he looks up. I always looked away, and when I looked back, he was gone. No trace of him left behind.

Of course, I realized my mistake. It should've been obvious to me by then.

The next week, I went on the subway with a plan in mind. Monday morning, I walked into the car immediately seeing him reading a book. I sat on one of the empty seats. There were around 5 unoccupied spots. I sat on the one that had the best view of him. After a few stops, I saw him look up. My first instinct was to look away, but this time I didn't. I had to know what was happening to him.

This was driving me crazy. I could hardly concentrate at work, and this man was keeping me awake at night.

Our eyes met as he looked up, his silver eyes staring directly into my pitch black ones. I didn't know what to expect when he did this, but I know I was taken by complete surprise when his expression turned from relaxed to afraid.

He opened his mouth wide and screamed, eyes wide and body trembling. I covered my ears, shocked and surprised by the man's reaction. I looked behind me, thinking maybe he saw something that scared him. But there was nothing.  
And that's exactly what I saw when I looked back at him again.

The man was gone. The seat was empty. And no one seemed to care.

My breathing was quick and heavy, my mouth dry as I tried to calm myself down.  
What was going on?!  
I kept taking in sharp breaths until the next stop, someone getting out the car, reminding me my stop was the next one. I sighed, calming myself down. This was so strange... it wasn't normal. Nothing about this made sense.

The next day, I tried again. I watched him until he looked back at me, screaming and shaking. I made the mistake of looking around again. I must be missing something! But no. Nothing. And he disappeared again. Of course.

Wednesday, I was determined. I stared at him, he glanced back. He screamed at me, I kept my eyes glued to him. He didn't stop yelling, I never stopped staring. Until another passenger got up and walked in front of me. I lost sight of the man for a second, and he disappeared.

A week went by, nothing changed. It felt like the cart was getting emptier with every day that passed, the man becoming my entire morning routine.

I always sat as close to him as possible, watching his every move. I followed how his eyes darted across the pages he was reading, sometimes from the newspaper, sometimes from a book. It always took 4 stops for him to stop reading and look up. Sometimes I wished he would just look up at me and get on with it already.

Every day, I found a new seat closer to him. Every day, I sat down with a better sight of him. He never seemed to notice. Nor did anyone else. I honestly felt ignored by him, wishing he would pay attention to my attempts at understanding him.

I've never made it past one station of watching him stare at me, screaming and shaking. There was always something to bring my attention away from him, be it another person walking in front of me, or even the lights going out on the subway. I was never able to see what made him so afraid.

Then there was one morning. One particular morning I found interesting. I got on the subway, 7:25am per usual. But this time, there was only one person in the car with me.  
Him.

He sat down, reading something on his phone. I smiled, walking up to him and sitting across from his seat. He didn't notice. I cleared my throat, wasting no time to get to the point of this little game.

"Who are you?"

He didn't look up from his book, seemingly ignoring me. I furrowed my eyebrows, getting slightly frustrated by this man. I just wanted to know once and for all what was happening.

"Who are you?"

I asked him once again, my voice raised slightly, still getting no response from him. It was only now that I was this close to him, that I started to notice some details I had not seen before.

There were scars tracing down his face and neck, possibly from heat or from being cut open. It must've happened a while back, though. The scars were almost completely healed.  
He had a tan line from a ring on his hand, it was clear. The line seemed to be fading, too. He continued reading from his phone, his eyes never being taken off the screen.

I leaned in close to him, placing a hand on his thigh. He didn't notice. He didn't react in any way. I applied pressure to his leg, even shaking him.

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

My hands moved from his leg to his shoulders, violently shaking him back and forth as he simply continued reading. Then I heard the next stop being called out. It sounded familiar. Of course it was. It was the same stop when he'd looked up at me in the past.

When the subway stopped, he took his eyes off the phone, instantly staring into mine. I let go of his shoulders and stared back. For a moment, there was no movement around me. Not from him, not from myself. As the subway doors closed, the familiar fear was painted across his face again. His shrill voice screaming at me, telling me to leave him alone.

I couldn't control my actions anymore. I started screaming back.

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?  
DO I NOT MATTER TO YOU?  
I THOUGHT YOU CARED ABOUT ME.I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!"

The words escaped my lips without being processed through my brain first. Before I knew it, I was standing across from him in the cart, a knife in my hand. It was covered in crimson blood. I looked up, seeing the man lying on the subway floor, red liquid trickling from an open wound in his chest.

"T-om... I di-d love y-ou. W-why di-dn't you sh-ow it t-oo?"

I closed my eyes and ears after dropping the knife, shaking my head and yelling. I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know who this man was, or why he knew my name. I walked backwards until I felt a wall meet my back, my eyes shooting open at the touch.

The man was gone. The knife and blood was gone. I was standing alone in an empty subway cart.

\-----

"Why'd you do it, Thomas?"

I opened my eyes, seeing a plain white wall in front of my face. A sly smile tugged at my lips, as I kept the woman waiting for an answer.

"He was ignoring me. So I made him notice me."

I heard the bland sound of a pen meeting paper, scribbling down certain words.  
"And you did so by killing him?"

I let out a half-hearted chuckle, turning my head to face the woman sitting feet away from me.

"Isn't it funny? He thought he could get rid of me by leaving. But I knew he'd be there. I knew he'd pass by the same stop where we would've gotten married. They say marriage is the beginning of a new life together. I suppose it's fitting that his life ended in the same place. And with it, went my life too."

I laid on the soft ground, my jacket keeping my arms uncomfortably at my side. The woman sighed. I could hear her closing the book, muttering a final goodbye to me. I paid no attention to her as she closed the door, a faint locking sound ringing in my ears.I closed my eyes, the smile never disappearing from my face.

\-----------

The next day, I walked into the subway cart, holding my bag to my side. I looked around, picking the first seat I could find. I was alone that day. No one else was in the car. It was empty. Just like me.


	16. Dancing on a hill

"Where are we going, Tord?"

I giggled as we ran towards the top of the hill, hands tangled together with smiles plastered on our faces.

"You'll see, Tommy. We're almost there. But before we get there... you have to put this on!"

We stopped running and Tord reached into his pocket to pull out a dark purple blindfold, walking behind me to tie it around my eyes.

"W-what is this for?"

Tord chuckled at my question, holding my hand and walking away. He guided me to the top of the hill, which seemed a lot further now that everything was dark. I was honestly getting a little tired after all this walking around, but when Tord stopped, my heart beat quickened again.

"Here we are, Tom. You can sit down if you want."

I nodded and sat on the ground, being greeted by a warm blanket spread out on the grass. At least, that's what I imagine it to be. I still had the blindfold on. I reached my hands up to take it off, but Tord's hands brushed over mine and held them.

"Not just yet, Tom. I want you to keep this on until I tell you to take it off, ok?"

I let out a playful groan.

"But I wanna see your handsome face!"

Tord chuckled, his hand caressing my cheek before he gave me a sweet kiss, time seeming to stand still until he pulled away. For a moment, I couldn't hear or feel anything, thinking that maybe Tord had left. I was about to call out to him, before hearing some violin music play, the sounds coming a few metres away from me.

A smile made its way on my lips, cheeks burning with a red blush. The music reminded me of my first date with Tord, dancing on a hill in the dark.

"You're the most important person in my life, Tommy. I can't possibly imagine not having you with me. Not even for a day."

"Tord? What's gotten into you?"

I let out a series of giggles, listening to my lover talk sweetly over the music.Warmth covered my hand, even with a blindfold I could tell it was Tord's hand holding mine.

"I never want to let go of you, Tommy. You're the light of my world, the reason I hurry home every night. The person I never want to lose. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So I want to ask you..."

The blindfold slowly slipped off my face, the view of my boyfriend kneeling in front of me, a small, black box with a golden ring in the center.

"... Will you marry me?"

My hands clasped over my mouth, vision going blurry due to the tears building up in my eyes. I stared at the ring, a small gemstone with blue and red colours swirling around each other. The music seemed to slow down as Tord stayed kneeling in front of me, my eyes shutting tightly as I nodded.

"YES! YES OF COURSE, YOU DUMMY! WHAT DO YOU THINK?!"

I tackled Tord to the ground, we rolled on the grass, holding our bodies close together. When we settled down, I laid on top of him, smothering him with kisses. He let out a series of giggles, me joining him as he kissed back.

He sat up, pulling the box out and taking my hand. He slipped the ring on my finger, a large smile still plastered on my face. I looked at my hand, the new ring making me feel complete as I faced my fiancé, pulling him in for a tender kiss.

The music picked up, I finally looked over to see a small band playing for us. I looked back to my lover, both of us getting off the grass and holding hands. Tord turned to me, a lovesick smile on his face. He kissed my hand, leading me closer to the band.

"Care to dance with me?"

"The first dance with my fiancé on top of a hill?"

He held my waist, his hand holding mine as I gripped into his shoulder.

"Sounds absolutely perfect."


	17. Body and spirit

Tord was a fascinating boy to many doctors.

From a young age it was clear his was different from other children. When another child got candy, they would smile and laugh. Tord, on the other hand, would never smile. Nor did he laugh. Or cry, or scream, or frown. His blank face never faltered, his voice never changing from a monotone.

Due to this reason, he never had any friends. Or people who wanted to talk to him. But he didn't feel sad. He didn't feel anything. Nor did it upset him when he stayed in his room all day, his family hardly wanting anything to do with him.

So when his family left him for weeklong trips by himself, he wasn't afraid. It was impossible for him to feel fear.

A Friday evening without parents would probably sound pretty perfect to any other moody, 17 year old boy. Though for Tord, it didn't seem any different from any other day.

Apart from the fact that he could try some things in secret.

He couldn't feel sorrow for not having emotions, but he wanted to. He couldn't be upset that he couldn't be upset. Though that was something he wanted more than ever. If there was one thing Tord knew he wanted, it was to feel.

So he tried. He took a knife, cutting his skin open slowly. A stinging sensation was there, though his eyes remained dry and heart rate normal. He tried bringing up feelings of guilt, pulling one of his pet goldfish out of its tank and killing it. But his expression stayed stoic, no changes to his mental state.

On the cold floor, Tord sat alone. No emotion to express his unspoken torment. His eyes half lidded, mouth an almost straight line, he sat, contemplating how boring his life had been up to this point.

"Yeah, I hear ya. Living without those fuzzy feelings in you must be tough."

Tord looked up, seeing a strange boy in front of him. His body seemed translucent, a slight blue tinge around his body. His eyes were pitch black, hair sticking up and clothes seemingly thin cloth covering him.

"Before you ask, I'm Tom. And before you ask again, no I'm not imaginary. I'm a spirit! And I'm here to make a deal with you."

Tord didn't raise a brow, his rhythmic breathing never faltered as he looked at the boy.

"What kind of deal?"

Tom clicked his tongue, walking beside Tord and kneeling down. Small whisps of blue smoke seemed to follow him around, disappearing mere seconds after they appear.

"Before we get to that, why don't you let me show you what I can do?"

With the slightest trace of hesitance, Tord nodded. Tom smiled, his body compressing into a cloud of blue smoke before entering Tord's head and disappearing out of sight.

"What emotion would you like to experience first?"

Tom's voice rang through Tord's head, being out of sight but not out of mind.

"What do you mean?"

The same monotonous voice filled the room, Tom would roll his eyes if he still held his bodily form.

"I can let you experience emotion. Which one do you want me to start with?"

Within seconds Tord answered.

"Joy."

As soon as those words left Tord's mouth, his eyes widened, blood pumping through his veins faster than it has in years. His lips curled up into a smile, his mind went fuzzy as he fell forward, hands balling up on the cold floor.

"Wh-aT iS ha-PpeN-iNG?!"

He started laughing, something he's never done in his life. He tried covering his mouth but the laughter kept escaping from it, his body eventually moving itself to roll onto his back.

"You're experiencing joy, Tord. I've triggered your emotions to manipulate what you want to feel, but usually can't. Are you enjoying this?"

Through the laughter, Tord nodded, his eyes watering and his stomach beginning to hurt.

"Hmm, I think we should change this up a little. Do you agree? I mean, joy isn't the only emotion out there. And I'm positive you want to know what they all feel like."

Before Tord could answer, his smile dropped as his chest got tighter. Sweat already forming and dripping down his face, Tord sat upright, looking frantically around the room. His breathing sped up, heart almost beating out of his chest.

"W-what i-s th-is e-emo-tion?"

"Fear. This emotion is fear, Tord."

"Wha-t a-am I afr-aid of?"

In Tord's mind, a slightly menacing laugh rang out.

"Everything."

Pulling his legs closer to his body, Tord sat on the floor, shaking. Too afraid to move. Though after seconds, the feeling was gone. Tord's expression went blank again, his legs unfolding and his racing heartbeat rapidly decreasing.

"Why'd you stop?"

Tom let an amused laugh pass his lips.

"I just want to make sure I'm giving you what you want before I propose our deal."

"You're letting me experience emotions. This is what I've always wanted."

In his mind, Tord could feel Tom smirking widely.

"Great. Now, haven't you ever wondered what it feels like to experience sadness?"

An hour passed, Tom allowing Tord to feel every emotion but one. A feeling of pain struck through Tord's heart after the last emotional experience.

"That last one was guilt. Something you should've felt when you killed Blubby the goldfish."  
"Yes, that emotion did bring up some memories."

If he had a body, Tom would've nodded smugly.

"We still have one last emotion, Tord. But for this one, I'd advise you to lay on your bed. It makes it more... Enjoyable."

Getting off the floor and walking closer to his bed, Tord's face stayed blank. Once Tord was laying down fully, Tom spoke up.

"Ready?"

Tord nodded at the question.Mere seconds after he nodded, Tord arched his back, breath quickening and muscles tensing up.He let out a sudden moan, hands balling up into fists and toes curling.

"WhAT fEE-liNg Is tHis?"

Tom's chuckle rang in Tord's mind, his voice only making Tord tense even more. Another sudden moan filled the room.

"Pleasure."

A shiver ran down Tord's spine, eyes clenching shut as the feeling continued, his body acting on its own while his mind seemed to be hung on nothing but the feeling. Arms gripping the bedframe, his legs moving in a spastic motion.

In an instant, the feeling was gone, Tord's body still recovering from the nerves tingling all over him.

A whisp of blue smoke left Tord's head, taking on a human shape as he sat on the bed beside panting boy.

"Did you like that, Tordy?"

Unable to speak, the boy nodded his head. This feeling's effects lasted much longer than the other emotions, something Tord was strangely grateful for. Tom's ghostly hand moved over to Tom's stomach, lifting his shirt up slightly. He moved his hand over Tord's torso, getting shaky breaths from the boy as a response.

"Which feeling did you like the most?"

Through shallow pants, Tord answered in his usual, monotonous voice.

"Pl-easu-re."

A slight chuckle escaped Tom lips, his smirk growing as he continued running his hand along Tord's skin.

"Yeah, I thought so."

Lifting his body up slightly, Tord let his torso rest on his elbows as he looked up at Tom, a blank expression showing once again.

"I want to feel it again."

With a click of his tongue, Tom pulled his hand away, his smirk contorting into a wide grin.

"It's not that simple, Tordy. I can let you feel these emotions again whenever you want, but we have to make a deal first. I want you to do something for me."

Tord nodded, his breathing going back to normal as well as his heart rate.

"Anything."

Tom chuckled darkly, his head coming close to Tord's ear.

"I want you to kill someone for me~"

********time skip wooooooooooooooo*******

The knife was heavy, Tord's swiftly moving figure hardly affected by it. As it was late at night, the curtains were closed at the tv was playing loud enough to cover Tord's footsteps. A blank stare covered his face as he crept closer to the man on the couch, no movement but the man's deep breathing coming from him.

Tom was behind Tord, watching the scene before him unfold. His black eyes seemingly darkening, though it hardly seemed possible.

He'd helped Tord get into the house, possessing him and walking to where he needed to go. All that was left, was to murder this person.

When Tord made it up to the sleeping man, he took a moment to stare at his facial features, examining every part of his head. If he could feel shock, he would've widened his eyes at the sight of the man, though he kept his expression neutral.

Brown hair, light skin, the man seemed almost identical to the spirit floating behind him. Questions arose as he looked back at Tom, seeing an annoyed frown overtaking his face.

Tord simply stared, wanting to know more about this man before he killed him. Emotion played no role in his actions, silently waiting for Tom to tell him what he wanted to know. Or why he wanted this man killed.

"Kill this man, Tord. Or you won't ever feel emotion again."

The words lingered in Tord's mind as he turned away from Tom, eyes settled on the sleeping body once more. Thoughts picked up like the knife in Tord's hands, Tom's smile widening as it was swung.

Did morality get the best of Tord?

The hole in the stranger's chest said otherwise.

Eye shot open wide, the man looked at Tord in fear. Choking on his own blood, he watched the boy in red's face stay stoic, a blue whisp of smoke behind him. Unlike Tom, the man's eyes were white, his pupils rolling up as he stopped struggling.

Tom smiled sadistically, his floating body standing beside Tord.

"Nice job. Feel any guilt? Remorse? Despair?"

A cold shake of the head from Tord answered his question. Tom let out a maniacal laugh before his figure reverted into pure blue smoke, surrounding the dead man before sinking into his skin. Tord watched and waited in silence, before seeing the bleeding hole in the man clear up, the ripped skin sewing itself together.

The dead man's eyes fluttered open, white fading to black as a smirk crept on his face. Without any resistance, the man got on his feet, wobbling slightly as he walked over to Tord.

"Hello, Tordy. Like my new body?"

Tom let out a chilling giggle, Tord staring plainly at him.

"I've fulfilled my end of the deal. I would like to feel regret for what I did."

A scoff left Tom's lips as he examined his human body, running his fingers along the skin on his arms.

"I don't think you wanna feel that, Tordy. Plus, now that i'm human again, I can't give you any emotion anymore. Hehe, forgot to mention that earlier. Whoops, sorry!"

Playful yet maniacal, Tom's giggle would've made any other man fear for his life. Though Tord didn't move, his face never letting go of its neutral appearance.

"So, you lied to me. You can't let me feel emotion again."

Tom scoffed, his hand gesturing as if getting rid of the thought.

"Who said I can't get you to feel again? I can't give you regret or anything, but I can give you your favourite emotion. If you want, I can prove it to you, Tordy~"

Without waiting for an answer, Tom grabbed Tord's hand, pulling him out of the room and into a different one down the hall. A bedroom.

"Pleasure?"

Tord's dull eyes scanned the room as he remembered his favourite feeling of them all.

"Yes, Tord. Now get on the bed."

Tord did as he was told, laying on the stranger's mattress as he had done in his own home.

"Are you going to possess me again?"

Shaking his head, Tom walked over to the boy slowly, looking over his body with lustful eyes.

"No."

Tom sat on Tord's hips, his head leaning closer to his counterpart's.

"How do you plan to initiate this feeling?"

His lips brushing against Tord's, Tom let out a silent chuckle.

"Just don't resist."

Their lips melted together, Tord's face letting up its blank gaze to close his eyes, waiting for the intense feeling to overtake him. Which eventually, it did.


	18. Simpler times (Drabble)

"Hey, Tordy! What's that?"

Tom stumbled to his friend, holding his shoulder and looking at the toy.

"It's a robot! It can't fly, though."

Tord showed the red figure to the smaller boy, earning an amazed sound as a reaction.

"That's so cool, Tordy! Can I play with it?"

Tord handed the robot to Tom, who accidentally dropped it on the ground.Tom gasped, picking it up and crying. Tord ran to him, hugging his friend and comforting the boy.

"I'm so sorry, Tordy!"

"It's fine, Tom. I can rebuild it."

\---

"Heh... It's funny, Tom.  
You broke my robot twice."


	19. 80% Plastic

"How do I look, Tord?"

Tom spun around happily, looking down at his curvy body and admiring his smooth skin.

"You look amazing as always, my dear."

Tom giggled happily in response to his lover's remark, twirling around again to watch his frilly dress fly up slightly.

"Ooh ooh! Tord! You promised you'll get me a heart! When will it be here?"

The blue boy jumped up and down excitedly, clapping his hands together and smiling widely.

"Today, darling. You can't stay a hollow soul forever. Follow me, dear."

Tord began walking away, Tom following closely behind and wrapping his artificial hand around his creator's robotic one.

Making their way into the underground lab, Tom sat in his usual spot on Tord's table, the red man walking over to him and giving his lover a sweet kiss on his cheeks. Tom giggled, his pale skin turning a light shade of pink.

"Alright, Thomas. I'll need to warn you about a few things. This is a human heart. I'm still not entirely sure if it's compatible with your artificial body yet. Plus, the heart isn't the freshest. It was taken from a fallen soldier earlier today..."

The blue man scoffed, crossing his arms in a sassy pose.

"The human brain worked! It fits perfectly. I have no doubt the heart will be any different."

Tord sighed, nodding in agreement. Though he still felt uneasy.

"It's just.. this kind of organic plastic hasn't really been studied or tested that much. I don't want you getting hurt or broken, min kjaere."

A moment of silence passed, Tord sighed and grabbed the heart, holding it in front of Tom's chest. His lover smiled softly, giving Tord a kiss on his forehead before looking at the heart with a wide grin. He opened his chest, a creamy liquid filling his insides (...yes ik how that sounds. no, it's not meant to be perverted. >->)  
Carefully and gently, Tord pushed his hands into Tom's chest, the heart still dripping with blood as he pressed it into the liquid. Immediately, the creamy fluid wrapped around the heart, soaking up the blood, turning the solution to a light pink colour.

"How do you feel, min elskede?"

Closing his chest, Tom widened his eyes, his mouth open slightly in shock and surprise. He stayed still for a few minutes, seemingly looking at nothing in particular, until he felt a bump in his chest.

He looked down, seeing if any rising and falling was noticeable. He felt another bump, then another. Soon enough, there was a rhythmic thumping in his chest, going almost unnoticed by Tord.

"Is it working?"

Tord stayed still, looking at Tom for any signs of malfunction. Though all he got was a shaky exhale from his creation and the feeling of plastic on his shoulder.Tom looked struck with happiness, his mouth curved into a wide grin.

"How is it? How are you feeling?"

Still unsure, Tord placed his hand on Tom's cheek, cupping the artificial skin lovingly.Eyes lidded, mouth still parted, Tom wrapped his legs around his creator's waist, pulling him closer and letting his blue dress melt away and form into a red silk sheet covering his body.

"I f-feel... Human."

Tord smiled widely at the answer, pulling Tom closer by his hips and rubbing his smooth skin.

"That's awesome, min kjaere. You're getting to be more like the real Thomas."


	20. BFs

The cafe wasn't completely full. A few people sitting around drinking coffee, but not many.  
Which made the happy couple talking to their friend very easy, as they didn't have to raise their voices above the acceptable level.

"So, how'd you two get together?"

Tord and Tom shared a small smirk, as if remembering an inside joke between the two.

"Well, Edd. It's the classic tale of two best friends secretly crushing on each other.."

***FLASHHHHHBACKKKKKK***

"Hey, Tom! I bought us best friend necklaces!"

Tom looked up from his phone to see his best friend standing in front of him, holding something behind his back, a goofy smile plastered on his face.

"Ooh, like those ones with 'BFFs' written on it?"

Tord giggled lightly.

"Close!"

Pulling the necklaces out from behind his back, Tord showed his friend what he'd bought.  
Rainbow necklaces with 'BFs' written on it.

"Uh.. Tord, you know 'BFs' stands for boyfriends, right?"

"Yep!"

"..."

"..."

"Ok."


	21. New shoes

"Tom... Why do we fight? I don't even remember how our rivalry started..Do you?"

Edd and Matt had gone out for the evening, leaving Tom and Tord to suffer in silence with the knowledge that if they fought while Edd was gone, they'd get an earful from him.

"Yeah, I remember."

Tord looked at Tom as he sat on the sofa, a book in hand as his half lidded eyes scanned the page. Tord sat up on the couch, curiously staring at the other.

"Really? How'd this all start? I don't remember a thing..."

Sighing, Tom placed his book down, glaring at Tord with an expression he hadn't used in a long time.

"It was in high school. 10th grade. I'd just bought new shoes with some money I'd been saving up for a few months.They were nice. Blue on the outside, white on the inside. Black laces. I don't know why, but I loved them.Back then, you already hated me for whatever reason. I always guessed you had a messed up life at home and just took it out on me.

You saw me as an easy target, I guess. Pushing and shoving me every time you walked by. Teasing me about how my dad left...Not cool, by the way."

Tord looked down in shame, muttering a small apology which Tom ignored. He continued his story.

"One day, I wore my new shoes to school. I felt great. Getting a few compliments about my footwear here and there. Such a nice feeling...

Then you came along. You didn't like my shoes. You made fun of me for them, called them worthless and ugly. I ignored the comments you made, just like I did with the other times.You were always public when it came to humiliating me. There were always at least three other people around when you played a sick prank of yours.

But when I left the house one morning to slip on mud covering my driveway, it looked like our entire school was standing in front of me with their phones out. Filming me as I slipped on the mud that you spread onto my driveway.

I was completely covered in mud in the back. My clothes so dirty my mom washed them for three days.

But do you know what hurt me the most?

I couldn't wear my new shoes. "

Tord sat still, looking away with his head hung. Tom sighed, putting his book down and getting out of the chair.

Without another word, he left the room, going to his bedroom to avoid looking his enemy in the eyes.

Tord was left alone, the memories and guilt all coming back to him. He eventually looked in the direction of Tom's room, a determined expression painted on his face.

"Blue on the outside, white on the inside, black laces.

I'll make it up to you, Tom."


	22. Broken (Drabble) (...I'm sry)

"Hey. Get the fuck up." 

Tom laid in bed, clothes ripped and torn to shreds. His hair was a mess, body shaking violently, tears stained on his cheeks. 

Tord just watched the smaller man, sternly shaking his head. To him, Tom was a pathetic excuse of a person, only sleeping with him for his own gain. Though he couldn't figure out why Tom wouldn't move for him anymore. 

"Why the hell won't you just get up already? Fucking pitiful." 

A sentence forced out of Tom's mouth. 

"I-I'm broken, Tord. Th-at's what happens to t-toys when you use them too much."


	23. Cracked and crumbled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some kind of angsty shit or smth here... Sry

Tord's pov

I was thrown across the room, the angry man stomping over to me and clutching my hoodie with one fist.  
The other hit me across my cheek, pain numbing my face as I had become too weak to fight back.

The pain in my chest grew.

"DON'T STEAL MY FUCKING SMIRNOFF, ASSHOLE!"

Another punch to the side of my face, I felt anger bubbling inside of me. Finding enough strength left in me, I blocked Tom's next attack, pushing him away with a growl.

"THEN DON'T TAKE MY HENTAI, FUCKER!"

Getting ready to swing my fist towards him, we both froze on the spot at the sound of the door creaking open.

Edd and Matt had come back from shopping, bags in their hands as they walked inside.They stared wide eyed at the two of us, seeing Tom's ripped hoodie and my bloody face.They weren't even surprised at this point. Edd walked past us, not saying a word out loud. Though I could hear a few mumbles under his breath, his words stinging my chest again.Matt, on the other hand, placed the bags down, running up to me worriedly and holding my shoulders gently.

"Todd! Are you ok? Your face looks horrible!"

I forced out a chuckle, looking away from him and nodding softly.

"Thanks, Matt. I'm fine. Jehovah over here just wanted to paint me with my favourite colour.Thanks, Witness."

Tom just flipped me off before walking to his room.

Sighing, my hands took Matt's away, holding them with a twitching smile.

"Thanks for worrying about me, Matt. But this isn't something you can help with."

He looked away slightly, nodding with hesitance before I let go of his hands.

"If you need some makeup to cover your cuts, I can always lend a hand."

A small smile tugging at my lips, a soothing feeling ran through my chest for once. I felt lighter than before. But not enough.

"I'll make sure to come to you if I need anything."

Matt and I shared a smile before he picked up the bags again, helping Edd with unpacking the food.

Walking into my room and closing the door, my smile fell again. I went over to my bed, reaching under it to pull out a metal box. Decorated with soft, red fabric, I lifted the top, tears pricking my eyes at the sight of what my heart had become.

Beating slowly, blood surrounding it in a pool of some sort. It was the usual sight, yet the middle of my heart wasn't.

It was decaying much more than before. The blackness consuming it, I could see a gaping hole in the middle. The sides of it were flaking off, falling as ash into the puddle of blood and fallen pieces of my heart.

And, as usual, around the blackness were three colours. Green, purple, and blue.

The green made up a small part of the heart, covering the top left side and shining dully. Although most of it was still pure in colour, a small amount of black leaked into the sides, spreading across a large area than any other day.

Purple was in the top right corner. As always, it was shining brightly and sparkling, no hint of black seeping in at all.Of course not. Matt has never hurt me before.

The rest of my heart was coloured blue. A dark, ominous blue that sent a shiver down my spine when I look at it. Black ran through it all. Lines of pitch black corruption sank into Tom's colour, spreading through as if infecting it.

Though it was as if the corruption came from Tom. Blue seeping into black.

If only he knew his hate was killing me.

There had never been this much decay before. A tear slipped my eye, joining the puddle of blood my crumbling heart had created. It felt like acid was running down my cheek, burning my skin on its way.

It was common knowledge to me that too much decay would be irreversible. My heart would never return to red. It would stay black, probably continue eating away at the rest until it was completed consumed by corruption. My life would end. Suddenly, painfully, and before I can explain what's happening to my friends, I'd be gone.

I didn't want to die like that. At the mercy of other people's influence on me. I knew Edd never intended to hurt me. But he never helped me settle my dispute with Tom, either.

Matt was always oblivious and narcissistic, though that didn't mean he wasn't kind or caring. After all, he seemed to be the one we all forgot, yet couldn't live without. Always ready to be a good friend.

And Tom. That alcoholic, hentai stealing asshole. Sometimes just looking at him was enough to make me sick, knowing he was probably hiding a smug expression for beating the crap out of me again. He was the reason my heart was cut out to begin with. The decay was seeping into the rest of my body and blood. I would've died a long time ago if I hadn't gone through the procedure of removing it.

Even the colour made me feel hate. Which made the black seep deeper into the blue.

I felt angry. Annoyed. Disgusted. Sick.

I felt horrible enough to pull my heart out of the box and hold it in my hand.

The rhythmic beating had me lost in a trance, my free hand being placed on my hollow chest. I stared at seemingly nothing for a moment.

Until I squeezed the heart.

Immediate pain struck me, my body going numb for a brief moment. It was enough for tears to well up in my eyes before I closed them. And squeezed the heart again.

I grunted in pain, breath fast as I kept squeezing tighter every time. Water slipping down my face, it would only be a few more squeezes before my heart would crumble in on itself.Blood ran down my hand and arm, staining my hoodie a darker shade of red.

I failed to hear a knock at the door over the pain.

"Hey, jackass. Edd and Matt are fighting with the neighbours and they asked us to come back them up."

My heavy panting left me breathless. I was too weak to even get a vowel out. But I was still strong enough to squeeze my heart again.

A sharp gasp filled the room, eyes clenched shut as the pain had become immense.

"Tord? You in there?"

Tom's voice simply made me want to squeeze it tighter. And I prepared myself to do so.

"I could've sworn I saw you go in-"

Light from the hallway shone into my dark room, my blood shimmering brightly. I squinted my eyes open to see Tom's face white with shock, frozen and speechless.

Though that changed in a flash as he ran up to me, tears poking at his eyes while he pulled me by my hoodie to sit up and ripped my heart out of my hand.

He stared at it, holding it gently while water slipped down his cheeks.

"Why, Tord?! WHY WERE YOU TRYING TO END YOUR LIFE?!"

My eyes widened, though I was still too weak to answer. My mouth opened and closed, choked vowels leaving my throat for minutes.

"Y-ou k-no-w wh-at i-t i-s?"

Tom softened his gaze, placing my squished heart into the pool of blood carefully. He nodded, leaning close to me and pulling my hoodie up slowly. I tried fighting back, but with my weak body, it was no use.

He slipped the fabric off, leaving me in my grey shirt which he lifted as well. But only high enough to reveal my scar above where my heart had once been.

Running his fingers over it gently, Tom pulled his hand away before slipping his own hoodie off, throwing it on the ground. He lifted his shirt to his chest, his own scar coming into view.

Shock ran through my body, my mouth went dry as I realized what this meant.

"W-we're ki-lli-ng ea-ch o-the-r..."

Tom nodded slightly, letting his shirt fall again. He sighed, looking me softly in the eyes, his filled with remorse as mine mirrored his emotions.

Unable to sit upright any longer, I fell onto my bed, exhausted and overall weak. To my surprise, Tom laid beside me, looking at the ceiling with tear stained cheeks.

The room was silent, spare for the sharp breaths both of us took.

"Why were you trying to end your life, Tord?"

My eyes shut softly, a small breath leaving my body.

"I didn't wa-nt to die bec-ause of you."

A shuffle heard from beside me, I could tell Tom was nodding. He understood what I meant. Maybe he went through the same thing.

"Tord, I know we don't get along. And I know a big part of that is my fault. But the thing is...I don't want to die. Because of you, or because of me."

My eyes opened half lidded, I faced Tom with a tired gaze. He returned it, turning his body towards me and sighing softly.

"How about this. Instead of taking each other's Smirnoff and hentai, we buy it for each other."

A smile unconsciously curled at my lips as I processed what Tom's words meant.

"You'd buy hentai f-or me?"

I saw a scowl make its way on Tom's face as he hesitantly nodded, a small blush dusting his cheeks. It made me giggle lightly, Tom joining in with me a little.

"If it means stopping this stupid, and probably fatal, feud between us, then yes. I'll order some hentai online under a fake name."

A snort left my throat, the pain having eased up enough for me to breath normally again.

"But... Hey! Smirnoff costs more money!"

"Well hentai costs more dignity."

A playfully offended gasp left my lips, Tom snickering at his own comment.

"How rude! For that, you owe me at least ten new magazines today!"

I pouted slightly, folding my arms while Tom laughed the entire time, clutching his stomach as he did so.

"Aw, ok. But only if you get a couple of bottles of Smirnoff and hide them so Edd can't take them away."

I giggled softly, nodding at the request. The room went quiet again, though now in a comfortable silence.

Scooting over to Tom, I turned my body towards him, wrapping my arms around his waist to pull him into a warm hug. A few seconds passed until he hugged me back, smiles pulling at our lips as we closed our eyes.

From the metal box beside my bed, a shimmering blue light glowed from it. My chest felt warm and light, and I knew what that meant.

My heart was finally mending.


	24. High school lovers

Tom and Tord sat, hand in hand, in front of the teachers' desk. Mrs. Arpie on the left, and Mr. Ray on the right. The young couple had soft frowns on their faces, unhappy about having to talk to their teachers instead of going home for their weekend together.

"Do you boys know why we asked you here?"

Honestly? They had no clue. They shook their heads, a slight glare coming from Tord, directed at the man in front.

"As far as I know, we didn't break any rules, get into fights, smoke, drink, or anything! Now that that's settled, we're leaving."

Tord stood up, only to get a scolding from Mr. Ray to sit back down and keep his mouth shut. The two already had some shaky history, since the teacher didn't seem to like the idea of the top student to be dating a boy.

"Stop holding hands."

A low growl left Tord's lips as he looked at the annoying scumbag in front of him, before sighing and turning to his loving boyfriend with a soft frown. Though before letting go of Tom's hand completely, he pulled his close to his lips, placing a sweet kiss on it and getting a light giggle from the other as a response. The two faced the teachers in front once more, Tom's cheeks dusted a light pink, and Tord's eyes narrowed as he stared at Mr. Ray with a challenging glare; one that was returned.

Mrs. Arpie was the first to interfere, placing a hand on the other's shoulder and telling him to calm down.

"Don't lose your temper to student, Larry."

She turned to face the two boys in front of the desk with a smile.

"I'm sure you're confused about why we brought you here. You're not in trouble, don't worry. But we do believe it is... necessary to talk with you two about this subject regarding your relationship."

The couple looked confused, both raising a brow in question.

"What... about our relationship? We're together, case closed. Can we go now?"

Mr. Ray let out an annoyed groan, facepalming while shaking his head.

"The thing is, we've heard a few of your fellow students talk about your 'love' or whatever. The two of you have been seen making out during breaks, be it in the halls, on the court, or even in the GODDAMN BATHROOMS-"

Once again, Mrs. Arpie intervened, holding the other back from his anger getting too out of hand. It never helped anyone that the couple was so open about their relationship when their own teacher was homophobic.

After a few deep breaths, the man settled down again, keeping his glaring at a minimal, or at least as little as he can. Which is still burning holes into Tord's skull.

"As I was saying, the two of you have been displaying acts of intimacy quite a bit, and the students have picked up on it. Now, I'm sure you already know (and take advantage of) the lack of rules against PDA in school. Though with a disgusting public display of affection such as yours, the school directory can't help but notice as well. Plainly put, when you get all up in his business, it becomes the school's business."

Tord slammed his hands on the table, startling the three other people in the room. His face was beet red, hands balling into fists and turning white. Face morphed into a piercing glare that could give a grown man nightmares... which it probably will.

"ARE YOU SAYING WE CAN'T BE IN A RELATIONSHIP IN SCHOOL? SAYING IT'S THE SCHOOL'S BUSINESS WHEN WE MAKE OUT? THE SCHOOL HAS NO RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT FROM US! IT'S NOT SOMETHING A BUNCH OF STRANGERS SHOULD BE STICKING THEIR NOSES IN! OR DO WE NOT HAVE ANY PRIVACY ANYMORE CUZ WE MAKE OUT TOO MUCH?  
DOES THE SCHOOL DIRECTORY WANT TO KNOW OUR FAVOURITE SEX POSITION TOO?!"

"TORD."

Tom held his boyfriend's arm to keep him from lunging at the teacher, as the other was probably planning to do. Tord softened his gaze, looking back at his lover with slight tears in his eyes.

Not just him.

Tom was tearing up, a drop already having run down his cheek. It pained him to see Tord lash out at someone like this. Full of anger, hatred. It made him remember the times they fought, never getting along in group projects and hurting each other every chance they got.

Though things changed for the better, Tom couldn't help but want Tord to simply be with him instead of trying to protect him by arguing.

Tord sat back down, scooting his chair closer to Tom and hugging him from the side, murmuring small apologies and giving his boyfriend small kisses on the head. Although things had settled between the two, Mr. Ray was more than furious.

A student yelling back at him. Not just any student. A gay, overachieving brat who questions everything he teaches in class, just because he 'taught it wrong.'

Standing quickly, a heavy aura surrounding him. He passed the two lovebirds, whispering into their ears before he walked out of the room.

"Disgusting fags."

Tom pulled his lover closer, feeling as if Tord was the only thing holding him back from running home. To his sanctuary.

Mrs. Arpie stayed in her seat, shocked by the actions another teacher had displayed. Especially someone she works so closely with.

"I'm... afraid I must apologize for Mr. Ray's behaviour today. He seems to not be in the right mind. I'll get to sorting that out once we're finished."

Tord thanked the woman, still cuddling Tom close and nuzzling his hair lightly.

"Long story short, we would just ask you to maybe... save the intimacy for home? Especially on our school trip coming up. We'd rather not have any students complain about... grunting."

A widespread blush dusting on their faces, Tom and Tord nodded in embarrassment before the teacher let them leave.

Arms wrapped around each other, the lovers left the room with awkward smiles. The door closed, the two walked down the hallway in the direction of the exit. Though a small shuffle was heard behind them, along with some murmurs here and there. The couple turned to see Mr. Ray on the other end of the hallway, pacing back and forth and muttering profanities under his breath.

He stooped and faced the two, scowling at them from a distance.

All he got in response were two smirks from the teasing couple, along with the sight of Tom pulling Tord by his hoodie strings into a passionate kiss, pressing his back against the wall and wrapping his legs around Tord's waist.

And the two of them flipping him off while he walked out the door.


	25. Spilled opportunities

"Good morning, Mr. Lis-!"

"Hello, sir. Have you had a nice da-"

"Sir, I've been meaning to ask you to fill out this fo-"

"Mr. Lisston! I've reviewed our agreement and I have an issue- "

"I'm sorry, no time to talk! I have a scheduled meeting in two minutes!"

Tord rushed past the many workers asking questions and wanting things from him. Being the head of a company, he had expected it all, as he does every morning. Though for once, he'd overslept and was afraid to be late with meeting his new assistant.

Usually, he'd be the one to hire someone he would be working so closely with. Though, for the sake of wanting to sleep on the night he would have to decide, he let his closest companions, Paul and Patryk, to make the decision themselves. He trusts them with his own life. Surely they chose someone suitable for the role. Someone who won't distract him while he works. Unlike the last woman who worked in that job. She did the bare minimum, not even bringing him a coffee in the morning.  
Tord scoffed at the memory of her.

"Stupid Jessica..."

Shaking his head, Tord didn't have time to dwell on thoughts or worries about his new assistant being like her.

With only a few seconds to spare, Tord made it to the door, opening it in a flash and walking inside. Right into the new employee holding a cup of coffee. The liquid spilled over both of their shirts, their eyes going wide as they stared at the mess on Tord's shirt.

"M-MR. LISSTON! I'-M SO S-ORRY! LET ME CLEAN THAT UP FOR YOU!"

Upon hearing the unfamiliar voice, Tord looked up to see a young man wearing a blue, now stained dress shirt, black, loose pants with formal footwear. A usual sight in the business world. Though, the momentary glance to the man's eyes sent shivers down Tord's spine.

The void, empty sockets for his eyes made it almost impossible to look away. Though, as the other hurried over to the sink in the corner of the room, Tord snapped out of his trance. Hearing murmurs behind him, he quickly noticed the door still open, a few employees looking at Tord and his now ruined shirt. A fake smile and a movement of the hand before the door shut with a bang.

He turned around to see the new employee smiling awkwardly, holding a damp and soapy rag in his hands. A look of concern and dread was spread over his face. It was clear he felt incredibly guilty about the situation.

He held the rag up for Tord, who took it with a raised brow.

"Who... are you?"

The blue man looked up, avoiding Tord's gaze with a sheepish expression.

"Tom Ridge, sir. I was hired to be your new assistant by two gentlemen in the other room."

A small hum leaving Tord's throat, he looked at the rag in his hands before giving a quick glance at Tom's coffee stained shirt.

"A-again... I'm truly very sorry about spilling coffee on you. I was told you like cappuccino so I got you one before coming here..."

A small smirk was painted across Tord's lips as he handed the rag to Tom, seeing a confused look on the new boy's face.

"You need this more than me. Besides, I always keep a spare pair of clothes at the office in case I work through the night. If you're going to work alongside me, I'd suggest you do that as well."

Surprise sparkling in his eyes, Tom nodded while taking the rag and beginning to clean his shirt. Tord chuckled, not bothering to change shirts at the moment. He was much more interested in getting to know his new assistant.

"I can already tell. Working with you is going to be a lot of fun."


	26. Play date

Giggling echoed through the large house, the sound of small feet pattering on the hard wood floors leading from room to room could be heard. Three small children ran through the living room, having been in a small girl's bedroom for the past hour. In the garden, surrounded by many trees and the back of the house, sat three exhausted adults, talking about their day and sharing stories.

"I'm glad they're all getting along. It's been difficult to find a good friend for Taya."

Edd and Matt nodded, smiling softly to themselves as they thought about their own son, Mickey. They had arranged for another child to come to the play date, a son of their close friend, who happened to have a last shift that day.

"Has it been difficult raising Taya, Tord?"

The man in red looked up at his friends, then sighed and sank into his chair. A tired chuckle leaving his lips, he shrugged.

"It's not easy, but I'm managing. You guys always help me out a lot with these kinds of meetups. Plus, Taya seems to be getting along great with the boys."

The happy couple nodded, taking another sip of their cola and tea while making smalltalk with their friend.

Meanwhile, the pattering of feet had stopped, the three children looking up at the small staircase in front of them. It lead to the attic, Tord having forgotten to take the ladder down.

"Ooh! Let's go up there! Daddy never lets me look around!"

The two boys cheered with a nod, following the young girl up the stairs until they were met with a cloud of dust. Coughing and complaining, they all eventually made it into the attic, spider webs hanging in the corners and a few small beans of light beaming in through a window.  
Looking around, the three could see numerous boxers, some old and ripped while others looked new and hardly touched.

A few small sounds of wonder leaving their lips, the children explored the room with anticipation. It wasn't a large attic, though it was big enough to house a few shelves and chairs.

Mickey sat on an old chair, hearing a slight creak come from it as it began rocking. Having never been on such a seat, tears welled in his eyes, a pout over his face as he hugged himself.

On the other hand, Theo and Taya were looking through some older boxes, wiping books down and taking a quick look inside. Nothing seemed of interest to them, their little hands placing them to the side as they searched for something of interest.

"What are you looking for?"

The boy in the dark blue jumper asked his friend, seeing her deep in thought with the task at hand. She shrugged, placing yet another book to the side and pouting as she emptied another box.

"Something daddy doesn't want me to see."

A brow raised, the boy was about to ask what she meant, when the girl let out a gasp. All attention focused on her, Theo watched as she pulled out a dark picture from under the box's bottom flap. The picture was of two boys, both in their teen years, smiling at the camera with their tongues hanging out.

Taya noticed that one of the boys resembled her father very much, his caramel hair going up in two spikes as well, and a red hoodie dangling over his waist. His silver eyes and familiar smirk made it clear that this was indeed a photo of a younger Tord. Though, Taya couldn't identify the person standing beside him.

A young boy with void like eyes, hair that stood up in a strange style. His blue hoodie seemed large on him, though it seemed to suit his goofy smile. The general vibe from the picture made Taya smile, seeing her father so happy in a picture she knows nothing about.

"Hey! I wanna see!"

Theo moved up to Taya, placing his chin on her shoulder to get a good look. She giggled in return, pushing his face away with a goofy grin. The two heard a loud thud, both turning around to see their friend laying on the ground, face flat on the ground. After a few seconds, he got up, looking at the two with a wide grin.

"I WANNA SEE, TOO!"

Mickey jumped over to his friends, seeing the slightly torn photo in Taya's hands. He took it, holding it up to the light to get a better glimpse of it. After inspecting it for a few seconds, the boy looked at his friends in confusion.

"He looks like someone I saw before."

Now intrigued, the two friends walked up to Mickey and stared at the picture. Having only now gotten a good look at the two men in the picture, Theo perked up, gasping in realization.

"That's my dad!"

Taya's eyes widened, staring up at her friend in wonder. Questions filled her mind, the biggest one being as to why her father kept a picture of her friend's dad in the attic. Though, she did have theories of why they both looked so young.

"Are you sure? Maybe they just look a lot alike."

Taya looked around, seeing a small box behind the larger one she had cleared out moments ago. Taking the small container into her hands, she was confused about the colourful decoration. The box was covered in red and blue wrapping paper, a few small pictures printed out and stuck onto it.

Taking off the lid, the two boys joined her and looked inside. A small bundle of envelopes tied together sat at the side, a few loose objects like a plastic ring and a small wrapper with a circle inside of it. The three ignored it, since they didn't know what it was.

In a small section of the box, a few stray pictures laid scattered around. Most of them were from years ago, the two looking like classic teenagers. Though, there was one picture that caught their eyes. It seemed very recent, the quality being much better than any other they had seen.

The two men standing in the picture were no longer teenagers, nor were they looking in the camera.

They were both fully grown men, looking exactly like Taya's and Theo's fathers at this point in time. They were looking into each other's eyes, warm smiles on their faces and soft blushes resting on their cheeks. The sight made all three children squeal, the adults sitting outside getting slightly worried about the strange sounds coming from the house.

Tord dashed up the stairs, looking frantically through every room, trying to find the source of the squealing. His heart dropped as soon as he saw the ladder to the attic pulled down, a cloud of dust still lingering. He cursed under his breath, climbing up the stairs swiftly and widening his eyes at the sight before him.

The three children gathered around the box he's kept hidden since he first created his daughter. He cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the young children huddling over the photograph. Taya gasped, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her father. Without letting him speak, she squealed and held the picture up, jumping up at Tord and giggling.

"DADDY! WHY DO YOU HAVE A PICTURE OF THEO'S DADDY IN HERE?"

She tugged on the bottom of his hoodie, Tord unable to hold down an aww and a smile. He picked his daughter up, holding her in his arm with one hand while taking the picture into the other. His face melted into a warm smile, cheeks rosy as he looked at the photo. It was taken only three weeks ago, the memory of Tom holding the camera while they both smiled lovingly at each other was burned into his mind.  
It made his heart flutter.

With a small sigh and a smile, Tord looked at his daughter, giving her a kiss on the cheek before sitting on one of the rocking chairs. Of course, Mickey warned him not to do so by screaming, "THE CHAIR IS ALIVE," but the man just laughed in amusement.

"Daddy? Why was the picture in a box?"

Tord chuckled lightly, partially out of nervousness of what his daughter's reaction would be. Clearing his throat, he began speaking, noticing Edd and Matt coming up the ladder and sitting down.

"I suppose I should explain. You see, back in high school, Tom and I were sweethearts. We dated for a few years, until I had to move away. We broke up, knowing it would never work out with the long distance. So a few years went by, I worked in the army for a bit as their leading scientist, until I moved back to the town I grew up in."

Taya had leaned against Tord's chest, listening to her father's words while smiling softly. She'd never heard much about her father's past. Mostly just about his past jobs and how she was created. It led to many questions Tord never wanted to answer, though now she was finally getting them. Her pitch black eyes stared at the picture with excitement.

"I ran into Tom one day. It wasn't much of a surprise, to be honest. We'd chatted before I moved, so we met up in a coffee shop. It felt like a day hadn't gone by since I last saw him. He was still as wonderful as ever. Time really didn't change much about him, apart from making him the most beautiful man I'd ever laid my eyes on..."

Edd and Matt playfully awwed, the children joining in while Tord snapped out of his daydream. His cheeks turned a burning red, Taya giggling as he groaned to himself.

"Keep telling the story!"

A few chuckles leaving his lips, Tord nodded and continued.

"It didn't take long for us to fall in love again. We started going on dates every night, cuddled with each other while eating ice cream, relationship stuff. Eventually, the topic of having a child came up. Since we can't have children, it brought up a few questions on what we should do. I know, we probably should've waited until we both got a secure job and moved in together at least, but we couldn't help it. We... wanted a kid."

Taya and Theo perked up at the subject. Tom had also kept Theo's background vague and secretive, despite the boy asking many questions daily.

"Because of my love for Tom, I wanted to have a child made by the two of us. His DNA and mine mixed to create someone made by our love. But Tom wasn't too fond of the idea of creating a child in a lab. He wanted to adopt..."

The feeling of guilt built up in Tord's chest, memories of Tom's stinging words sending spears through his heart. Nevertheless, he pushed down the feeling, knowing now was not the time to interrupt the story.

"We had a huge fight about it, and decided to go our separate ways. Despite being told not to, I used Tom's DNA to create a child. You, Taya."

The young girl looked up at her father, hugging him around the neck and kissing his cheek. Tord giggled, hugging his daughter back. He never regretted creating her, even if it tore him and Tom apart for a time.

"Tom adopted Theo as a baby, and for a long time, we didn't talk to each other. Of course, I cursed to myself every night for going behind Tom's back and making a child, basically his child, without telling him. So one day, I came clean. Tom was shocked at first. I can't blame him.

But as I told him about how amazing Taya is. When she first started walking, I sent him a video of it, and he just melted. He still wasn't sure about meeting you, seeing as you didn't know anything about him and we were still broken up. I told him I was sorry that I went behind his back, but seeing Taya run through the house when she just learned how to stand? It was the most amazing thing I'd seen."

While Tord was talking, Edd and Matt had pulled Mickey back, cuddling him in their arms while they listened to their friend. Theo smiled warmly, hearing the tale of his mother's love story and finding out his friend's father played an important part. It made him feel like part of the family, even if he wasn't related to any of them.

"Tom and I started dating again a year ago. We caught up on all that we'd missed over the past few years, shared stories about our kids, and so on. That picture was taken a few weeks ago, actually. I put it in that box because it's where most of my treasured pictures and items go. Like the letters Tom and I wrote to each other, or the plastic ring he gave me when we were kids."

"What about the little plastic circle thing?"

Tord looked at his daughter in confusion, though as he looked in the box, he went slightly pale.

"U-hm, that's not im-portant..."

He'd forgotten when he and Tom were about to have their first time together, but his dad came into the room and kicked him out. He still kept the unused condom to remind him, though he would never explain what it was to his daughter. Even when she's over 18.

"Anyway, Tom and I have recently talked about introducing him to you, Taya. I've told him everything about you, and he's excited to meet you!"

The young girl gasped, her eyes wide and mouth open. Her void eyes seeming to sparkle, she squealed, hugging her father around the neck once more and screaming "YES" into his ears.

"SO I'LL FINALLY MEET MY MOM?!"

Hearing those words, Tord stopped to think for a second, getting up and carrying Taya in his arms.

"I suppose so. Are you sure you want to meet him?"

Vigorously nodding, Taya squealed in delight. Tord placed his daughter down, smiling at her and his friends. The sound of the doorbell ringing made everyone perk up.

"That should be him!"

As fast as a bullet, Taya raced down the stairs, the two boys following closely behind her. Edd and Matt chuckled to themselves, walking down the ladder hand in hand, which left Tord standing in the attic, still holding the beloved picture in his hand.

With a smile and a sigh, he walked over the wooden floor, kneeling down to the box and ghosting a hand over the photograph. He placed it back in its rightful place, looking at the many cherished items he's kept hidden away for so long. Though, it felt good to tell his secretive story, Taya finally knowing where she came from, as well as Theo.

Tord's smile turned to a smirk as he heard the front door be flung open, all three children screaming in joy and jumping.

"Hello! You must b- Oof."


	27. Ice cream in bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mpreg

A small huff left the man's lips, seeing the many stacks of paper in front of him. He'd been working for the past few hours, having gotten through about half of what he had to do. But it had to be done, especially since he would be taking some time away from his position as Red Leader for a year.

It wasn't like he wouldn't fill out forms some days, go to meetings and take care of business. Though he would do so a lot less frequently, seeing as his priorities have changed over the last five years.

They changed as soon as he said "I do."

A click sounding from his walkie-talkie, the familiar voice of the man he fell in love with sounded through.

"Tooooooord! Can you come help? I can't get up..."

Chuckling, the man stood from his desk, happily taking the device with and responding to his husband.

"Of course, min kjaere. I'll be right over."

With a skip in his step, Tord walked down the hallway, past a few soldiers who saluted him on arrival.

As he made his way along the tile floors, he ran into his two most trusted soldiers, Paul and Patryk. They walked with him, holding a few papers out for him to look at, much to his demise.

"We'll need you to sign this by tomorrow, as well as write out the new flight plan for our fighter jets. General Derry has requested you issue a meeting to discuss-"

"Slow down, Pat! You know very well that I'm not paying attention."

The soldier looked down slightly, nodding as he shut his mouth.

Tord stopped walking, the two following his actions as he placed a hand on their shoulders.

"Listen, I know you're all stressing about getting the base prepared for my time off, but don't worry! We still have a few months, and I'm positive you two will run this place as well as I can. Leave the papers on my desk, I'll have a look at them later. Right now, my priority is taking care of Thomas.Until then, soldiers."

The pair gave their leader a salute before he walked away, leaving the two to stand in the hallway and sigh.

"Once she's born, I doubt we'll even see much of him anymore..."

Paul nodded, being both happy and concerned about their friend.

Meanwhile, the peppy leader stood outside of the shared bedroom door, opening it and walking inside. He expected Tom to be sitting on the couch, watching TV and cuddling under a blanket, but instead he was surprised to see Tom on the bed, holding his hands out to Tord like a child.  
Giggling softly, the man in red walked over to his lover, about to pull him up. Though instead, he was surprised to find Tom placing his hands on his round belly, holding Tord's underneath his own.

Before he was able to question Tom's actions, his lover spoke first.

"This is our child, Tord. Our daughter. We made her. Isn't it amazing?"

Tord chuckled softly, sitting on the bed and lifting Tom's shirt up to reveal the round shape of his lover's belly. A smile creeping over his lips, Tord leaned down to kiss it, speaking softly to his unborn child.

"Hello, min lille prinsesse. I can't wait to meet you! Don't give your mother too much trouble, though. He keeps calling me to help him reach the remote."

Tom chuckled softly, petting Tord's hair while he spoke to their awaited daughter.

"I already love her so much, Tommy. I'll do anything to protect her. And you."

Tord looked up at his husband, seeing him attempt to move closer but failing miserably and pouting softly. Hand placed on his lover's middle, the leader leaned in and caught his lover's lips in a soft kiss.

The two shared it for a while, eventually pulling away to stare into each other's eyes with caring smiles.

Just as they leaned in again, Tord felt a kick against his hand. The two lovers pulling apart, Tom placed his hand beside Tord's, waiting for the familiar feeling of their child moving inside of him.They waited for a few seconds, before another soft kick made them both crack a wide smile, the two feeling tears prick their eyes.

Minutes were spent in silence, both men hoping to feel another movement from their daughter, though it felt as if she had gone back to resting again. Sighing lightly, Tom tried to kiss Tord's cheek, groaning in protest as he couldn't reach his husband.

Tord did him a favour, showering his face and neck with loving kisses. He never knew how those chemicals Tom accidentally drank all those years ago would lead to him being happier than he ever could've hoped.

A wonderful husband by his side, and a beautiful daughter on the way. No amount of wealth or power could make him smile as warmly as he did with Tom.

"Come join me in bed, Tordle. I could use your company, you know. Being alone in bed makes me sad."

Tord giggled, going in to peck his lover's lips sweetly before he pulled away and stood up.

"Don't worry, I will. But first, let me get something to sweeten the deal~"

Catching onto what his husband was saying, Tom giggled like a teenage girl seeing their superstar crush on TV. Tord left the room, going into the kitchen and grabbing two bowls filling them with ice cream and a few cherries on top. Toms eyes lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight.  
As Tord laid down beside his lover, his smile widened as Tom snuggled closely into his chest. They scooped out their ice cream, feeding each other the cherries that were placed along with them, enjoying each other's company.

"When she's old enough, I want us all to eat ice cream in bed. One big, happy family eating ice cream."

Giggling, Tom kissed his lover again, his hand placed on top of his belly while taking another scoop of his favourite sweet onto his spoon.

They couldn't wait to eat ice cream with their daughter.


	28. Red vs Blue

A quiet evening together, watching a movie and snuggling with each other. Of course, the two were naked in bed, holding each other close and peppering soft kisses on the other's neck. Tom pulled away, half lidded eyes staring into his lovers' while a soft smile played on their lips.

"I missed you."

Shuffling closer so their foreheads were touching, Tord nodded with a soft frown.

"I missed you too, elskede. I'm sorry work takes up so much time."

Humming in agreement, Tom gave the other a gentle kiss before snuggling up closer to his chest.

"Yeah. For both of us..."

There was a comfortable silence between the two as they held each other closely, legs tangled together and bodies pressed against each other softly. Though every moment has to come to an end. A heavy atmosphere fell upon Tom as he hesitated to speak up. He didn't want to make things tense when he and his lover has such a great evening. But he had to bring this up at some point.

"I... went by your office today with lunch. Where were you? I was calling you all morning. And... everyone else there didn't know who I was asking about."

Not looking up at his lover, Tom could hear Tord's heart rate increase. His head placed on his boyfriend's chest, he frowned slightly, afraid of whatever answer he would get. Though all he got was a sigh and the arms around his waist pulling him closer to the other's body.

"Perhaps you went to the wrong building, dear? I had a few meetings, so I had to turn my phone off and forgot about turning it back on. Sorry, min kjaere. I would've loved to have eaten lunch with you..."

Tord stayed still, hoping his lover believed what he was saying. A small shuffle to signify a nod, Tord relaxed at Tom's understanding. Though, the same question came to his mind, remembering when he wanted to spend some time with his lover.

"That reminds me, last week, I went by to ask your boss about giving you today free. He said you hadn't gone to work in months. I... hope he was joking. I find that very hard to believe."

He forced out a chuckle, Tom trying to keep his panic down secretly. He instead shrugged, giving his lover a fake laugh as well to the best of his ability.

"Y-eah, Darrel loves making those kinds of jokes."

The heavy atmosphere didn't clear up, both of them thinking the same thing.

"He sounded pretty serious, to be honest. Maybe he just has a weird sense of humor."

Sitting up abruptly, Tom gave his lover a crooked smile, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"Sweetheart, why are we talking about work and bosses on such a wonderful evening? You know we've been waiting for tonight for ages. We should instead enjoy our time together, wouldn't you agree?"

Leaning down, the eyeless man slid onto his boyfriend's lap, giving him soft kisses and nips along his neck. The Norwegian man smiled lightly, his hands placed on either side of the other's waist, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the gentle actions his lover was doing.

"You're right, elskede. We've been waiting for this night for too long. Let's enjoy it together."

Their lips connected in a sweet kiss, one neither of them ever wanted to break. It crushed them, having to keep such a secret from the other, but it was the only way they could survive. Their love was all that got them through living another day, after all.

Their endless love for each other. Taking the other in, as if it was the last time they'd love again.

\------------------------

"DIE, YOU BLUE WEARING SCUM!"

The grenade was launched at the group of men, dressed in blue jackets and bandannas covering their faces. They dodged the impact, aiming their guns at the opposing team member who had attacked them.

"FIRE AT THE RED BASTARD!"

As soon as the order was given, the blue blues shot every bullet they owned at the red, watching him fall to the ground with red liquid leaving his body. A satisfied smirk crept on their faces, all but from the leader himself, who continued onward, leading his team to the next checkpoint.  
On the other side of the field, hiding behind the many walls surrounding the playing field, a group of reds stood, waiting with their many weapons in hand, ready to attack their devilish enemies. A few signals to tell the troop to move forward were given, the leader going first to show the clearest path to continue on.

They had all heard the shouts from the opposite team, having no doubt killed their red that had left the group, despite having rejected the leader's orders. He was a fool to leave the group, though it allowed the reds to get an idea of where their opposites were.

As the two teams stalked through the maze of walls, a clearing opened up in front of the troops. A convenient clearing, both teams facing each other in plain sight.

Immediately, the fighters raised their guns, both team leaders wearing a bandanna of their signature colour and a hoodie, hiding their faces in the shadow of the hood. Both leaders raised their hands, signalling their groups to stand ground, not making any fiendish movement against the opposing team.

"You won't win, red. We'll have a grand prize in the end. At least you'll be covered in your signature colour when we slaughter you like the pigs you are."

Blue leader was fierce with his words, venom leaking off every syllable, though it didn't intimidate the other male.

"You speak with determination, so sure of yourself and your sheep following your every step. Though, it's clear to us all that you're unprepared for this war. We've claimed most of the land, all that stand in our way is your herd of uncivilized animals. The competition is over for you, blue. All other colours have been eliminated."

A smirk tugged at the blue leader's lips, a challenging glare being reflected by the eyes of his enemy.

"Then I suppose we'll just have to see which team is superior in this final showdown."

Blue leader raised his arm, signalling for attack, the red leader doing the same as both teams immediately ran at each other, guns and knives ready for use. Screams and cries rang through the battlefield, red against blue, the troops covering their jackets in bright red blood, bodies falling to the floor every second.

The two leaders had gone against each other, both initiating and dodging attacks, fighting with knives rather than words of any kind. Growls left the blue leader's throat as his skin was torn apart, a deep gash spread over his cheek while red leader's knife dripped with blood.

The blue male brought a hand up, the knife taken with it, cutting the red leader's chest, ripping his hoodie, dooming it to be stained with blood.

With both leaders inches apart from each other, both filled with rage and determination, their knives swung in the air, attacking their opposition with fatal movements. The leaders stuck in their own smaller battle, they had blocked out the war around them, neither seeing the blue troop member sneak behind the blue leader, pulling him away from their leader with a forceful yank.

The movement cause the hood to fall down, revealing the top half of red leader's face, stopping the blue leader from making another move.

"...Tord?"

Upon hearing his name, the red leader stopped his struggling, time seeming to slow down as he stared at the leader of the blue team. He watched the leader pull his hood down, staring into the familiar, void eyes of his lover, the man he'd taken to his bed just one night ago. A flurry of questions crawled into their minds, neither fully grasping the situation they were stuck in until it was too late to do so.

A knife stuck into the red leader's back, Tord's eyes widened at the touch, a dark chuckle left from a blue member's lips. Tom's face went pale, eyes wide and white as his lover was dropped to the ground, many troop members stopping to see the red leader beaten.

"STOP! NO! NO, NO, PLEASE! TORD!"

Every troop member stopped upon hearing the blue leader's cries, turning to see the man drop to his knees, cradling the red leader's body in his arms. Tears spilled from his lifeless eyes, hearing the jagged breaths enter and leave the man underneath him.

"T-To-m?"

His voice was strained, it was clear he wasn't going to be able to speak for much longer. Tom placed his forehead against that of his lover, holding Tord's hand in his own as their tears mixed together, being added to the pool of blood seeping out underneath the red leader.

"I-I'm he-re, To-rd! I'm h-ere..."

Hiccup-like sobs left his lips, Tord fighting to keep his eyes open long enough to speak to his boyfriend once more.

"I l-ove yo-u, el-skede..."

Tom wasn't able to answer, not having enough time to do so before Tord brought their lips together into a kiss, struggling to press his mouth against Tom's enough to show him his love.

His dying action was a kiss shared with his lover, Tom unable to pull away, even after Tord's muscles has gone completely limp. He couldn't pull away from Tord. His lover was everything to him, his reason for staying alive. His only flame in a reality of ash and dust.

"Blue leader, you've won the battle. Red team surrenders the war."

Tom let go of his lover's lips, a blank expression as he shakily raised his head to meet the gaze of the red fighter. He trembled slightly, tears streaming down his cheeks as he gave the boy a look of horror.

"I f-ought fo-r us..."

He looked down at Tord again, the lifeless body of his lover now laying heavily in his lap, Tord's face pale and expressionless. Out of the corner of his eye, Tom spotted a gun, once owned by a former soldier who's life had been taken only minutes ago. He picked it up, holding the weapon in one hand, while the other stayed firmly held in Tord's.

Leaning down once more, he placed a soft kiss on his lover's skin, just as he did only one night ago. Despite the screams of fear and horror ringing in his ears, Tom pulled the trigger, a bullet lodged in his head as he himself died with his lover. The one reason to live being the reason he took his life, giving one last, loving action as the last one he'd ever give.


	29. Hot chocolate

"Tord?"

Knocking rang through the apartment, Tom's voice sounding through the walls. Tord ran to the door, opening it quickly with a worried expression.

"Yes, Tom?! Is everything ok? Do you need anything?!"

Tom froze for a second, not expecting the other to get so worked up over seeing him at 2am. Though, after shaking his head, he sighed.

"N-no, I'm fine. I just... had another nightmare."

The Norwegian softened his gaze, letting out a small 'Oh'. The Brit looked down slightly, rubbing his arm.

"Would you like to talk about it? Come in? I can make some hot chocolate for us."

Black eyes met silver, a mutual smile painted on their faces and Tom nodded and walked inside. A few minutes later, the two were sitting on the couch, sipping hot chocolate and snuggling under the blanket, as it was a cold evening.

"Would you like to talk about the dream, Tom?"

The boy in question looked up sheepishly, taking a small sip of his drink and snuggling up more before nodding slightly.

"I-t was about Jordan again."

The name made Tord's grip on his mug tighten, eyes narrowing as he looked at the liquid in his cup, humming for Tom to continue.

"The th-ings he said to me... a-and did to me.. It all c-ame back in my nightmare."

Tom's voice was shaky and quiet, though Tord listened perfectly focused, wanting to support his friend in such a vulnerable state.

"H-he called me a b-itch... and h-e hurt m-me.. a-nd.."

His words were cut off, Tom's eyes leaking tear after tear, soft sobs filling the room. Tord placed his mug down, immediately going over to Tom and hugging him softly. The smaller hugged back, face pressed into the other's chest while tears stained his shirt.

Soothing circles were rubbed into the Brit's back, shushing accompanying the soft sobs leaving his lips. Minutes were spent hugging each other, Tord calming the other down by telling him everything was ok, and that no one would hurt him again.

"Jordan is gone, Tommy. He'll never come back."

The sobbing quietened down to light breaths, the smaller pulling away, revealing a rather large wet spot on Tord's shirt.

"S-sorr-y..."

Tord softly chuckled, wiping Tom's wet face with his thumbs.

"Don't be sorry, Tom. You've never done anything wrong. And the fact that Jordan always told you otherwise is just bullshit. You're absolutely perfect, Tommy."

Those words made the eyeless boy blush softly, looking away at the hot chocolate sitting on top of the coffee table. He smiled lightly, feeling his heart flutter. Slowly and hesitantly, Tom slipped himself onto Tord's lap, much to the Norwegian's confusion. Tom still didn't look at him, instead keeping his gaze on the water stains on his shirt.

"You've a-lways been there for m-e, Tord."

He let out a soft chuckle, finally meeting his eyes, making both of their hearts race slightly faster.

"If I di-dn't know better, I'd say you liked me m-ore than a friend..."

Still nervous and quiet, Tom's voice rang through the room, making Tord's eyes widen softly as he sighed, eventually just closing his eyes, relaxing his body.

"I do, Thomas. I think you're the most sweet, kind, overall perfect man I've ever met. But af-ter everything that happened with Jordan, I.. don't know if being in a relationship with you is right."

A moment of silence, followed by their lips being connected in a kiss. Initiated by Tom, the kiss was soft and gentle, almost hesitant, as if he was afraid of being punished. Both men were stuck in a moment of bliss, neither of them wanting it to end, and both slightly upset when it was over.  
Tom looked at the other, holding a smile with light tears building in his eyes. He placed Tord's hands on his thighs, the Norwegian confused as to why he did so.

"I-I need t-o f-feel lo-ved, To-rd. I've w-anted yo-u to love m-e for so lo-ng..."

His hands gripped Tord's shirt, another light tear dripping down his cheeks. Tord's thumb wiped it away again, rubbing his thigh slowly and softly, shushing the poor boy once again.

"Tom, look at me."

The boy did as he was told, meeting the silver eyes that always seemed to mesmerize him. Their faces inched closer, both men accepting the other's lips with a warm heart, arms lacing around each other softly. Not making any sound other than light whispers of love to each other, Tom was laid on his back, Tord making him experience every wonderful feeling he'd never felt before.

Hands never leaving their skin, the two kept their bodies close, all the while neglecting their cooling hot chocolate.


	30. Winter

A bitter chill ran up his spine, making him shudder and sit upright.

Looking towards the opened window and making his way towards it, the frost on his fingertips felt too cold for comfort. As the window was shut, the man let out a soft sigh, going back to his seat to continue writing.

"It's been eight months, Tom. He isn't coming back, and you know that."

Edd set a mug down on his friend's desk, steam rising and dissipating into the cool air. Ink continuing to flood onto the page, Tom snuggled in his blanket, continuing to write.

"I have hope. Please stop trying to break it."

A shake of the head, the door closing behind the kind hearted man. Tom was left alone again, his writing interrupted by the chirping of a bird. Outside of the window, Tom looking up towards the small creature, seeing it hop on the windowsill. Slow steps made towards it, the critter flew off as Tom creaked the window open.

A light sigh, Tom's gaze flickering from the windowsill out onto the land, blankets of snow covering the area. More fell from the sky, the man wondered how on Earth the bird could survive such cold conditions.

Fingers stretched out, the snow fell onto them, melting almost instantly. It made the man shiver at the touch, his sensitive skin covered with goosebumps, pulling his hand in again. Though, he stayed by the window, elbows propped onto it while he rested his head on his hands, watching the snow coat the leafless trees.

Stillness around him, a light breeze pushed his hair out of his face. No movements other than the soft flakes descending from the grey clouds looming above Tom. It made a light smile creep on his lips, something that hadn't happened for months.

A mix of colours moved out of the corner of Tom's eye, breaking the setting for his mind to wander, thoughts having taken him to a quiet place. Black, brown, a hint of red, a figure walking down the long street towards their house.

Not thinking much of it at first, as many people walk down this street. A large duffel bag carried on their back? Uncommon, yet nothing to get his hopes up.

Black eyes flickering their gaze, set on a tree being covered in a cold blanket of frost. Another shiver ran down Tom's spine, he decided to grab his sheet from the stool, wanting to continue watching the soft snowflakes falling.

He cuddled with his baby blue blanket; a gift from his lost lover. As he made his way to the plates of glass, Tom couldn't help but notice the figure having walked out of sight, now nowhere to be seen. A soft sigh left the man's lips, hopes dropping more and more.

The sound of the front door closing almost went unheard by Tom, assuming his roommates had simply left for the store to stock up on food for the winter. Tom froze when he heard his door opening, a small pause taking place before the most beautiful voice rang in from behind him.

"I've missed you so much, min kjaere."

A tear slipping down his cheek, hands brought up to his mouth as soon as he faced the figure standing in front of him.

No words exchanged between them, Tom ran up to his lover, embracing him in a tight hug, soft sobs leaving his lips. He felt water drip onto his hair, having been released from Tord's shimmering eyes.

"I-I thought you we-re d-ead-! I th-ought y-ou were.. I-I thought-"

Tord let his left hand card through Tom's hair, his right arm hanging in front of his body, wrapped in a sling.

"Shh, Tommy. It's ok. I'm here..."

He kissed the smaller's hair, noticing how long it had grown since he last saw him. Many things had changed about Tom's appearance, the most noticeable being how pale the man had become, leaving Tord to wonder when he had last seen the beautiful rays of sun.

Minutes passed, no sounds coming from either man, as they embraced in the middle of the room, a hand still carding through Tom's hair.

"I got your letters."

Tord was the first to break the silence, his lover's head tilting up to look him in the eyes, tears still stained to his cheeks.

"I got them all today."

Voice soft and quiet, it comforted the other, making him feel warm once more. Warm in the other's arms, for the first time in too long.

"I read them while I was sitting in the train. Every single one of them. I wish I could've answered them."

Confused, Tom tilted his head to the side, still holding the other closely.

"What do you mean?"

Another breeze swept in through the window, noticeably stronger than the others. A few loose pages lying around flew backwards, landing on the floor by the lover's feet. A light groan of reluctance leaving his lips, the embrace broken for Tom to close the glass sheets, Tord's left hand picking every page up from the ground and setting them down on the coffee table.

As Tom made his way back to the other, the two found themselves sitting on the couch, sharing the beautiful blanket they both cherished.

"I've been stationed on the battlefield for months. There wasn't any way to get or send letters. I couldn't leave my post. I couldn't even call you, tell you how much I missed you, that I love you..."

Tord let out a sharp sigh, closing his eyes for a moment before opening his duffel bag and pulling out a pile of worn out envelopes, tied together with a piece of wool.

"I still wrote to you anyway."

Eyes scanned across the paper, Tom took the letters into his hands, the weight making it hard to hold with one hand. Some envelopes were covered in inky hearts, others dirty and torn, presumably from being written in a ditch. Tom remembered as his lover packed to leave for the army, taking as many envelopes and sheets of paper as he could. He had promised to write to him every week. It seemed Tord kept his promise.

Tom set the letters aside. Reading could wait, he'd rather bask in the comforting warmth he hadn't felt in months. He moved closer to the other, snuggling into his left side, Tord's arm wrapping around his shoulder while nuzzling his face into the other's hair.

"What was the war like?"

Silence surrounded the two, Tord's face slightly darkening at the thought of what he'd gone through.

"Day after day, I begged whatever God there was out there to let me go home. It took me taking people's lives, sleeping in trenches, and ducking from bullets for my prayers to be answered. Every night I thought of you, holding you in my arms again. I wished I could kiss you again. Instead, I was surrounded by screams of men I barely knew. People fell like dominoes during the day. I can still hear the shots ringing in my ears."

Staring at nothing in particular, envisioning the scenes played out in front of him. Memories of the past few months flooded back like a wave, Tord's grip on Tom subconscious tightening. It was only when he felt water run down his cheeks again, that he broke from his thoughts.

Small shaking came from the man cuddled up in his chest, Tord's cloudy mind clearing up to comfort his love, rubbing soft circles into his back. Tom's eyes were open, glossed over with tears. The blanket was wrapped in his fingers, he fiddled with the sheets lightly.

"I-s your arm broken?"

He looked up at Tord, the gentle smile he'd longed to see for so long making him melt.

"It's healing. I just need to keep the sling on for another couple of months."

A nod of understanding, light tears dripping from his eyes, though Tom kept on a smile nonetheless. Tord's hand moving over to wipe the tears from Tom's face, he let a sad smile take over his lips.

"No need to cry, min kjaere. I'm home."

Light sobs left the smaller's lips, though a warm smile stayed on his face, arms lacing carefully around the other's neck.

"We-lcome home."

A kiss was shared between them, an action the two had wished for since Tord left. Their lips melted against each other, tears slipping down their faces, though their hearts fluttered in sync, time slowing around them for this single moment of pure love.


	31. Bridge

Breathing rapid, hands gripping the bars, the bridge was quiet during twilight. The lamps lit the paths up dimly, the distant water calm and gentle. Soft wind kissing his skin, Tom's hands gripping the metal rails tighter, eyes clenched painfully shut.

"JUST FUCKING DO IT ALREADY! GOD, WHY ARE YOU SUCH A WIMP?!"

The tears ran quickly down his face, his shouting didn't help one bit. It simply made him more fearful of what he had planned to do. Hitting the rail with his hands, he stood upright, pacing back and forth while pulling at his hair.

"Why can't you just go through with it?! You won't be missed. No one will care! Just do everyone else a favour already!!"

Another brisk wind pushed past the boy, making him shiver slightly, hugging himself. His pacing slowed down, stopping to look back at the water, elbows propped on the rails while his head hung low. He could barely see his reflection in the water, though his mind filled in the blanks.

"Heh... I look like such a mess..."

The bridge became quiet again, stars twinkling softly above him. He paid no attention to them, facing the murky sea, his tears joining the body of water. Tom's panting calmed down to quiet breaths, his thoughts trapped him in his mind, time going by slowly.

Footsteps heard from the end of the bridge, Tom paid no mind to them. Another passer by, someone who doesn't care. It's none of their business. Just let them pass and get on with their lives.

The footsteps stopped, the boy thinking whoever it was had crossed the street to avoid passing him. It wasn't until he heard a light sigh, that Tom noticed someone stood beside him.

"So you're here, too. What's going wrong in your life?"

Face stained with tears, the boy picked his head up, turning towards the man with the strange accent.

"Wh-y do you think something's wrong?"

'Stupid question, it's pretty obvious, dimwit.'

A chuckle rang through the silence, the man with caramel coloured hair giving Tom a soft smirk.

"People don't come to the bridge at midnight just for kicks. You're planning to jump off, correct?"

Stammering slightly, Tom couldn't find the right words to say. He hadn't expected someone to talk to him, much less ask about what he was planning to do. With a light sigh, Tom looked away, laying his head on his arms, the rail supporting him.

"You don't need to know. You probably don't even care."

Soft humming coming from the stranger, he leaned his back against the rail, hands stuffed into his hoodie.

"Who says I don't care? People don't jump without a reason. I'm interested to hear yours."

The strange man brought up emotions inside of Tom. Ones he had always suppressed, never being able to let out to anyone he knew.

"WHY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?! WHY DO YOu even care!? No one cares! No one..."

'Breaking down again. Weak. Worthless. Can't even handle his own emotions.'

As Tom faced the other with narrowed eyes and gritted teeth, he felt how his hot tears stung his cheeks, the grip on the rail digging into his fingers. The stranger didn't get angry. Nor did he smile sadistically, mocking poor Tom and forcing him into climbing over the rail.

No, he didn't do any of that. Instead, he stayed in his spot, looking at Tom with a sad smile.

"Because it looks like you need someone to talk to. By your outburst, it seems to me like you need to scream at someone. I'm here to listen. Talk to me."

His answer left the boy feeling confused. It didn't make sense. A stranger who happened to walk past him was there to listen to him, offering Tom a chance to finally be heard by someone. It took a battle in Tom's head to finally take in a deep breath, looking over at the other with glossy eyes.

"I-I... I came out to my family a few months ago. I thought they'd be supportive.. that they'd understand me. Heh... Maybe I was just in over my head.

Mom slapped me as soon as she found out. Told me I'm a disgrace to the family, and that I should be ashamed of myself. Dad kicked me out. Didn't even let me take a bag or anything.For a while, I stayed with friends. They let me crash at their place because I had nowhere else to go. It was alright... They seemed to be nice friends. I'd known them since I was a kid. I thought they were honest... I thought they cared about me."

A broken chuckle leaving Tom's lips, he wiped his wet face with his sleeve.

"Boy, was I wrong. I heard them talking about me earlier... Snickering with some boys from school. They made fun of me... Gossiped about how disgusting their gay roommate is. They talked about kicking me out at the end of the week. I don't even have a dollar to my name. I-f they kick me out, I really have nowhere to go. So I might as well just get rid of myself before they make me go through all of that..."

Tom looked into the distance, darkness consuming the horizon across which the moon's reflection shone.

"So now I'm here."

The wind whistled quietly, a soft breeze making Tom shiver once more, the stranger snuggling slightly into his hoodie, yet remaining calm and collected.

"You really need better people in your life."

A light chuckle, Tom nodded in agreement, facing the other with a gentle gaze.

"I've told you my story. Now you tell me yours. What are you doing out here? People don't just come to the bridge at midnight for kicks, you know."

A tired look, accompanied with a light smile. The man put his arms up lazily.

"Ok, you got me."

He dropped his arms, going back to his nonchalant look.

"Nothing too dramatic. I'm pretty alone, I guess. I live with my aunt, who's always spending the money I make on hookups and lottery tickets. A few hundred to feed the demons hiding in that powder, if you know what I mean."

Tom nodded softly, gaze on the water as he heard the man's story.

"I've been needing to take long shifts at work to help keep up with paying the bills. My aunt doesn't take kindly to when I keep some cash away from her, even if it's for something we need. I guess a main part of me being here is because of what happened on social media...

I won't go into too much detail, I'm sure you've seen it, too. This guy filmed me when I was in a public shower. I had my back turned and hair down, so it looked like I was a girl. He slapped my ass and made me squeak... then I turned around and he laughed when he found out I was a guy."

The stranger paused his story for a bit, turning around to face the water. The abyss below made him get lost in a trance, the surface showing his uneasy expression.

"He uploaded the video and it went viral pretty much overnight. I can't go online anymore without thousands of messages being sent to me about it. Some people even thought it was funny to visit me where I work and strip me in front of everyone there.

...I got fired from my job earlier because of the video. Too many people coming there to harass me about it. My boss just had to let me go, I guess. I'll be gone before my aunt finds out we don't have any cash for booze or bills."

Tom couldn't help but glare at the water, though staring at nothing in particular. He was disgusted. The people responsible for this didn't even think about how the man beside him would feel. They probably wouldn't even care that they're driving him to suicide.

"Why don't you just move away?"

Their eyes met, the stranger letting out a soft chuckle.

"Why don't you?"

Crossing his arms, Tom gave him a dull look.

"No money, genius. I'm stuck in this goddamn town until I die. But you could still scrounge up whatever cash you can get and leave. Go somewhere better..."

A small shake of the head, the man gave Tom a sad smile, patting his hand softly.

"It's not that simple."

Another silence took over, the air crisp and cold. Staring down at the water, it looked freezing to the two men, both wishing they wouldn't have to feel the cold before their untimely deaths. Though, neither of them stirred, quietly taking in every breath while their thoughts peacefully simmered down to nothing at all.

"Thank you."

Facing Tom with a questioning look, the man was slightly confused.

"For what?"

A light smile took over the boy's lips, staring off into the depths of the sea beneath him.

"For listening to me. And for telling your own story. You're the first person who's ever done that. So... thanks for being there for me."

Nodding lightly, the man gave Tom a soft smile, himself feeling lighter after talking to the person beside him.

"You know, I never caught your name."

Tom smirked, giving the other a light giggle.

"I never threw it. But if you wanna know, it's Tom."

The stranger held his hand out to Tom, beaming warmly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tom. I'm Tord."

The two shook hands, sharing a small moment of happiness. The first piece of joy they'd had in a long time. As they let go of each other's hands, silence returned to the two, Tom going back to facing the water. A moment of joy can go far, though the negative greatly outweigh the positive.

"Well, Tord..."

Tom grabbed the other's attention as he placed a foot on the rail, getting ready to hoist himself up.

"It's nice to know there's at least one nice person in the world. Thanks for being the last person ever to make me smile."

Tord's eyes went wide, mouth going dry as he grabbed Tom's arm, right as he was about to push off.

"W-AIT!"

The boy stopped what he was doing, the hand on his arm leaving a red mark, though it wasn't something he was overly concerned about. The look on Tord's face was quite different from the others he'd worn in the night. It was full of concern, fear, pain in his eyes. It made Tom stop and listen to what he had to say.

"T-om, surely you're not going to give your life up at a young age? Just because of some homophobic assholes!"

Eyes beginning to gloss over again, Tom looked at the other with confusion and shock.

"Weren't you going to do that, too?!"

A slight pause, Tord looked troubled. He glanced down at the water, seemingly calculating his next words and steps.

"I may not know you, Tom. I may not understand the full story of your life. But there's some part of me that feels drawn to you. I don't know why. I don't know what it is that makes me grab your arm and hold you back...

But I won't let you do this, Tom. And if you do, I'll jump with you."

Letting his grip soften, Tord looking the other in the eyes with a gentle expression. His leg still pushed onto the rail, the boy couldn't help but stop and wonder what the other meant.

"...I feel the same way. Like I'm drawn to you, too.But what other choice is there...? We can't move away, we can't stay with anyone...What other option do we have?"

His eyes flickering quickly as he thought, the man in red took his hand off of Tom's arm, taking a step back. Slowly, he raised his hand, stretching it out to the boy in blue.

"I don't know, Tom. I don't know what I'll do if I ever leave this bridge. Maybe start walking and see where it takes me. But I know one thing's for sure. I'm not leaving this bridge alone. Whether it's down the street or into the water, I'm going wherever you're going, Tom.

So we can either go and live our lives, get a job far away from here and start a new life together, or we can end everything we have here, on this bridge, tonight. I don't know about you, but I'm leaning towards a fresh start, even if it's rough.

Will you come with me?"

Tom stayed silent, head hanging low and breath unsteady. Death seemed so easy. A way to get rid of your troubles, never pester anyone else again. Though, he had the chance to spend his life with someone new. Someone who listens, who cares about what he has to say. Someone who could bring joy into his life, make Tom smile and laugh like he hadn't in so long...

A small smiled painted over his face as he grabbed Tord's hand, pulling him along as they walked down the street, off of the bridge.


	32. Fluffy blanket

Tom's pov

My bed was cold, the empty spot on the mattress making me sad. As a shiver ran down my spine, I decided to get up, pulling the fluffy sheet with me. Walking barefoot across the carpet, toes sinking into the fabric below me as I made it into the hallway.

The office door was opened slightly, warm, orange light flooding from it. As I pushed the door open, it made no sound, allowing me to silently peek inside at the desk.

The sound of tapping came from the keyboard, Tord sitting on the chair facing away from me. He ran his hands through his hair, letting out a soft sigh, before going back to typing on the computer.

"No, no... That sounds stupid."

I watched him erase an entire paragraph, taking a sip of his presumably cold coffee I had placed there hours ago. My feet quietly making their way towards my husband, a soft patter heard with every step.

"Why don't you come to bed, baby? You need some sleep."

I spoke with a gentle, calming voice, Tord turning around to look at me with a tired smile. He shook his head lightly, a light sigh emitting from his lips.

"I can't, elskede. I have to finish this chapter as soon as possible."

Always the same excuse. Though, it was obviously just a fault in his morals. Walking up to him slowly, I placed my arms around him lovingly, the blanket covering the two of us.

"Tordy, I know you want to sell this book. But if you're too tired to write correctly anyway, what's the point of staying up?"

He avoided my gaze, looking down at his story with calculating eyes. They seemed to droop, tiredly scanning the lines he's written. Moving out of the embrace, I sat on his lap and held his shoulders, our lips meeting in a soft kiss. He seemed to never want it to end, I felt the same way, though let my lips trail to his ear.

"The bed's cold without you, dear. Tomorrow's another day."

He paused, the fluffy blanket warming me up, as well as Tord's arms around my waist. Eventually, he stuffed his face into my neck, giving me soft kisses and nibbles, the touch making me giggle lightly. Tord pulled away, looking me in the eyes with a soft gaze. It made a smile tug at my lips, seeing his eyes half lidded with a face of love.

"You're right, min kjaere..."

Letting my head fall onto his shoulder, I nuzzled him lightly, enjoying the warm feeling of him loving me. We embraced for a while, before choosing to get up, Tord picking me up and dragging the blanket behind us. My legs were wrapped around his waist as he set me onto the bed, snuggling me while he draped the sheets over us, lazily slipping everything off but his boxers.

As his arms covered me in a soft embrace, sweet words filling my ears, the bed felt warm again. While Tord kissed my head, holding me close, the computer cursor blinked, eventually shutting off for the night.


	33. Sleep (Drabble)

Awake from my dream, covered in sweat and tears. The covers scrunched in my hands, breathing rapid, eyes wide.

Soft snored caught my attention, my lover sleeping peacefully under the blanket beside me. His caramel hair poked out from the sheets, face relaxed and breath steady. 

Tord's a light sleeper, probably not aware that my void eyes had turned pure white in fear. 

Fear of losing everything. 

Fear of being alone. 

Shifting under the blanket, I was pulled into an embrace by my sleeping lover.

He pulled me close, his soft breaths lulled me asleep, a smile covering my lips.


	34. Glitch

c̴̱̞̤͖̈̎̐̕̚o̵̜͓̽̒̾̊̈́͠m̴̪̖͍̳͍̦͑̀͝͝ͅm̸̼̖̥̗̰͍̍̌͛͐̈̋͝ā̶̺̳̳̽̾́n̷̹̟̞̰͎̝̑̔̌͛̓d̴̛̮͖̮̉̽̇̈̆̌̚:̵̧̧̧͉͕̠̝̬̎̉̋̚ͅ ̸̢̖͙̖̫̼̮͌̆ȓ̸͎̪̭̝̞͆̃e̴̮̝͙͓̞̯̘͂̽̋̐̈́̑̆̅̎w̴͓̓̔͌͜į̴̱̘̙̤̤̮͛͜͝n̸̜̲̹̞̙̣͐͋͛̌̀̿͝͝ḑ̸̧͕͓̼̞̺̇͊̓̎͆͘͝

"Goodbye, old friends! World's not gonna take over itself!"

č̴̣̮̭̫͉̝̫͑͐͆̆̃o̸͎͌̏̐̈̋̏̈́̈́̚͜m̶̮͙̼͔͍͍̐̓̈́̑̏͘̕͝͝m̵̤͕̻̞̥̼̲̰͐ͅa̶̯̖̦͖̪̞͕̽̇͆̅̚̕n̴̨̻̻̘̥̦̮̠͌̈́̔̍̒d̵̡̫̦̥̫̆͋͗̑́̏͘͝:̴̢͕͓̠̝̠̝̈́̃ ̶̛͈̝̄̎̀̂̋̽f̵͈̞̞͕̐̂̈́̒̎̑̒̔͜͝ͅͅį̵̢͇̝̩̮̩̮͆͗̐̓͗ͅx̴̖̰̖̣͍͈͇̋͗ ̶̲̀̈́̈̀̔̔͝i̶̢̢̠͚̱͇̙̫̘͋̓̇̇͒̕͝t̴̺͚̰̗̊̓͛̄͒̉̈͜͠

"I am NOT YOUR FRIEND!"

f̸͖̩̬̣̖͌̈͜ͅì̵̛̬͆̾̊̑͗̚x̸̛̞͇̝̟̓̓͊̊̈̇͝͝i̴̡̫̇̇̄̀̚ņ̵̠͈̩͙̣̹̲͑ḡ̵̹͉̻̗͗͑͘ ̶̥̮̝̖̭̃̃̕͜ị̴̛̎͛̇̈́ň̵̠̫̹ ̶̢̧̛̜͂̕͝ͅp̶͙̦͍͚̓͌̑͊̓͝r̴͎̦͕̼͖̰͔̈́̇̀͝ͅở̵̙͕̺̜̯̰̑̒̾̔̋̄̐g̴̹͕͖̮̰̏̊̈́̽̈͊̍͝r̶̗̺̺̙͒̔ͅẻ̸̱̯̋̂͛͝͠s̴̨͓͆̊̾̀̓̌͛̊s̸̛̫̀͒̾̔̔͘

"TORD! NO!"

5̴̛̞̔̊̂̄0̶̲̗̣̰̟̤̌̾͊̚%̸͈̖͉̅̽͒̂͊̅̽̂́

"OH, SHUT UP!"

8̸̧̢̙̙̪̳͗̃̈́ͅ0̷̨̗̹͙̱̅̿̀̃͠ͅ%̵̡̧̳̻̓͜

"But I thought we were...

I thought we were friends!"

1̴̛̝̭̘̱̼͎̱0̶̡̤̙̭͉͂̏̀̿̌0̴̨̢͔̟̝̟̟̜̤̓̅%̸̨̖͈̣̀͊̍̍̿͐͆̚

f̶͎̼͖̝͚͇͍͔͂͌͘͜i̷̪͕̋͌̆͝ẍ̴̡̞̠̬́̿͛̏i̷̡̱̙͓͉̞̒̍̿̀͝n̶̯̮̬̦̝̫͂͗͂g̴̛͔͒̅̑̓͘ ̵̧̠̤̭̭̪̹̍̅̎͌̑̚ͅc̵̢̧͓̖̰͍̖͉̫̈̽͐̏̾̀̋̕͘ǫ̶̱̘̥͒͠͝m̴̧̹͕͖͚͊̌̆͐p̸̼͎̻̱̟̭̭͝͝l̶̺͍̗̗̓̈́̓ě̷̪̏͊̒̓͝͠t̷̢̼̤̪͙͓͖̘̋͒̈̅ẻ̶̛̤͇͓̳̱̻̠̑̅̒ͅ

b̶̟̊̏̐͊̀̀̎͠e̶̩̮̭͙͙͔̯̫͒̈́͛̒̋̀͂̌͝g̵̢̗̍̌̾̊͝ĩ̶͓̗̈n̸͉̝̮̫͚͗̎̎͑͒̈́̓̆̿͜ ̷̪̳̳̺͒̓͂̑́͘ṟ̷̢̛̟̳͚͉͚̈́̃̀̿͐̽͜e̵̗̘̠̮͌͠c̵͖̩̤͆̒̽̂o̵̻͉̲̦̺̭̝̞͍̒̊̍̌̚̚n̴̡͔͇͛̓̂̔͒̉̕͜s̷̡̙͙͕͙̮̯̙̟͋̂͘t̸̨͇̺͍͖̹̫̎̚r̸̛̪̥̳̪͔̯͕͎̍̏̊͝ų̵̢͓̘̞̮̬̒̾c̷͙̮̤̦͙̳̗͊̒̄͒̀̈̕̚͜͝t̷̝̲̩̽̆̽̏͐i̵̡̦̬͍͊͒̅͆o̷͚̹̍̒̎͒̅̍n̸̠͕͎̼̒͆̋͗̓̕͝͝ ̵̧̫͙̟͇͈̓̋͋̓̓̑̆͋̿p̸̛̹̆̌̇̆̋̎͘r̸̡̩̖̋͑̓͋͋̎̓̓ŏ̶̤̖̘c̸̺̆̌̉̾͛̓̋͠e̸̟͈̓̂̎̋̿̊̈́͆͠ͅs̴̢̧̛̲͔̈̐̉̓͝ş̶̱̝̥̭̹͋̉̓

I knocked on the door, my hands in my red hoodie as a soft breeze swept past me. Months had built up to this moment, the perfect date and time where I would knock this time around, instead of pick locks to get into the house.

A few seconds went by, before a small click was heard, the door opening slowly to reveal a familiar man with brown hair and cola in his hand. His face lit up with joy upon seeing me, and I had to admit, I missed Edd's rosy cheeks and soft smile. One that didn't show any hatred towards me.

"Tord!"

He immediately pulled me into a hug, his face stuffed into my neck as he laughed with genuine happiness. Pulling back, he held my shoulders with a smile, my hands still kept in my pockets. Edd pulled me inside, muttering excitedly about how happy he was that I came back. I laughed along with him, listening to his excited sermons about how surprised he is to see me. Surprised in a good way.

"It's gonna be great having you back, Tord! I already prepared your room! You'll be sharing it with Tom!"

Something about Edd's chipper attitude and excited voice put me off a little.

"Command: Pause."

p̷̧̹̹̗͛͋́̏͌̕a̸̡͓̺͍̫̞͙̿͆̑͠ͅự̴̡̼̼͈̭̰̮̐̌̃͋͌̈̑̓s̷̤̫̓̔ë̴̡͓͎́͒̀̌̽d̸̫̪͓̞̪͖̈́͜͠

I let out an annoyed sigh, my hands put together and brought to my head. A few seconds went by until I figured out what to do.

"Command: Tone down Edd's excitement."

c̵͔͙͓̯̫͆͜͜͝͠ͅh̶͈͕͙̦͉͙͕̪͑̏̈́́̚̚ą̵̧͆̈͗̃͋̈́̚̚r̷̢̹̚ạ̴̡̥̦̺̭͓͉̓̃c̵̛̫̎͊̒͋͂̋͗͝ț̶̭̗̐̃̓̀͋̃͝ë̵̛̬́̈́̉̓̔̿͌̉r̸̩̘̃̂̾͑̾̕ ̷̮̞̼͉̬̜͛̎̓̾͛Ė̶̘̊͐̔̀̊̇̇d̵͚̰̺̫̝͈̉̅̊̎̅d̷͙͕͔̞͆ͅ ̷̢̢͔͚̬̟̟̞͛̈́͝ç̵̢̢̖̰̝͔̳̝͆̊͌͌͒͛̓o̷̼͔̪̭͝ņ̸͖͚͊͂͜f̸̣̯̂i̸͚͓͕̍͗g̴̛̝͔̲̬͍̹͈̦͙̏͋̃̾͌͝͝ǘ̶̮͙͕̩̩͙͒̄̂̈̀r̷̢͇͂͗̔̎͝ã̵̩̩̋̈́ͅẗ̴̰̖͉̯̰͈͠į̸̬̞̰̝̝͒́͌͘o̸̘̮̙̽̌͗̑͒̆͘n̴̖̰͙̗̼̫͛̀͐̃̋̈́̑͛̂ ̶͉͆̑͑̇̒c̴͚̭̮̺̹̺͚̭͙͗ȯ̸̯̙̠̱̲̾͌̓̅m̴̤̼͈̼͓͇̠͛̌͋̐͝͝p̷̛͍͕̿̂͆̌̀̇͝l̴̳͉͎͐̄̒̈́̎͛̓ȩ̷̤͙̰̉̈́̿͌̒͜͝t̷̡̘̘͍̹̥́̊ẹ̴̦͛̔͒͘̕͝

An accomplished smirk crept onto my lips, a command given to continue the scene.

"Let's just hope he doesn't kill you, right?"

Edd laughed lightly, along with my soft chuckle. He took a sip of his cola, walking away towards the kitchen while gesturing for me to follow. I did as he asked, going into the kitchen to find Matt staring at himself in a mirror.

"Hey, Matt. Long time no see, ey?"

He didn't look up from his reflection, making little kissy faces in it. Is this really how Matt acted? It was annoying.

"Command: Make Matt less narcissistic."

c̷̫̫̙̑̑̈̑̽̈̕͠͠h̷̡̤̣̖̓̄̍͐͜a̷̩̲̓͌̅̈̋͘͝r̴͕̹͝a̵̟͘c̵̦͇͕̳̲̦̹̖̆͗͒͊͆͐ͅt̶̢̧̹̞̦̎e̸͙̒͐̏́r̵̺̝̒̌͂ ̴̛̪͔͇̺͑̽̌̽̈́̿ͅM̵̡̛͓͉̘̩̎̒̿̇̕͜ả̴͇͉̜̒̀͛̆̈́͝͝ť̶̢̝̙̘̖̝͉́̕͜ţ̶̓͂̐͂̎͑̆̐ ̶̖̣͎͓̬̭̇ͅç̵̭̜͕̺̹̯̈́͘ö̴̡͚̙͍̳͍͎̭́̄͐̑̇̌̄̽n̸͚̭̰̱̝̮̳̮̗̐̈́̽́̒̓f̶̡̜̤̟̖̝̩͐́̐͒́̎̓͋͘i̷̛͕̺̦̐̕̕͠͝ͅg̸͖̰̹͎̤͙̐̉̄͌ủ̵̘͎͚̻͚r̴̨͈͂̇̓́͋͝ả̶̡̭̘̭͔͚̅́͊͜t̷͙͍͐͒̆̔͊i̷̱̣͉͕̜͑͊̄̃̏̊̌̓ơ̸̹̓͋̆̀n̴̩̦̙͉̲͍̯̾̊͆̊̕͝ ̷̧̣̗̪̘̠̤̖̓̕͝ç̶͍̙̑̎͒̀̆͘̕o̵͕̟̮̫͛̉͌͋m̵̟̤̎̐̑̒̈́̐̏̚͝p̷̦̔͛̚͘͝ḽ̴͕̙̄̆̑̓͋e̴̛̪̜̥̘̼͕̺̎̾̈́̿̑͑͛̉͜ͅt̵̳̽̆́͐̚͘̚͝͝ę̵̐͒͒

Matt looked up from his mirror, gasping lightly with a wide smile. He ran up to me, giving me a big hug.

"TORD! LOVELY TO SEE YOU AGAIN, CHUM!"

I returned Matt's hug, chuckling softly. He felt warm. Comforting. Matt was always the one to give people sweet compliments, making them feel better about themselves overall. He did that for me a few times, making his long awaited hugs even nicer.

"You should get your bags up to Tom's room already. He's probably there."

A nod in return to Edd's statement, my heel turned to trudge over to Tom's room, bags in hand. Standing in front of Witness's room, I knocked on it lightly, turning a handle to peek inside the room. All I got in return was a screech and an empty bottle being launched in my direction.

"FUCK OFF, COMMIE!"

I closed the door before the glass hit me. It was probably shattered over the floor, but it wouldn't have hurt me anyway. An angry growl left my lips as I looked up.

"COMMAND: MAKE TOM FUCKING HAPPY TO SEE ME!"

c̴̢͎̞̹̙͕̘̼͙̓̑̔ĥ̸͚̙̮͚ͅą̶̬͍̠͍̭̟̟͖͑ŗ̶̛̫̠͉̲͉̐͗̈́̃ͅȁ̸̧̗͉̻̭͒̑̃͌̀̕͠c̸̩̋̈́͛͘͝ţ̷̫̗̭̙̩̲̈́̑̉̃͘͠è̶̫̰́̅͊r̸̳̤͕̠̟̤͉̐͐̽͒̑̍͘͜͜͝ ̴̛̺̹̟̘̍̂̍̂͐͋̔̀Ṯ̵̛͈̘̱͙̲͙̃͗̍̇͘͝ö̵͉̘̺́̑͊̌͑̔̇̍͘ṃ̵̡̛̝̼͚͇̂̍̅̃̚͝͝ ̵̪̭̝̻̞̿̅̂̃̓̔c̵̘̱̔̇̅o̸̩̦̲̞̠̹͍̎͋̈͋̉̽̎̎͠ņ̵̢̭̠̻̭̺̗̅̓̃͒̂̏̓f̷̤̩̩̩͇̌͛̒̑i̷̮̒̀̿̾͝g̵̢̭̪̘̦͇̍̓̄̕̕u̴̧̹̮͖̭̠̤̜̣͒̾̇̿ŗ̵̮̻̲̲̖̗̫̿a̴͚̜͖̳͎̍͒̈́̓̋̐̋͜ͅţ̴͖͉͈̦̺͔̙̾͛͑̉̾͘i̵̳̻̺̠̼̪̗̤̤͐͒ò̵̬͔̗͎͐̔̎n̵̡̧̖͇̖̂́͐̌̕̕͝ ̷̱̲͗c̷͈̗̠͕̟̥̠̊͊̉͌͐̏͐̎o̵̭̖̬͈̥̠̊͗̅͋̇͑̏͝m̸̟͆̾̂̆̎̚p̶̠̰̥̾̋̏̑͛͆̓ļ̸̧̪̩̰̜̲̙̊̏͒̀̾̈́͜e̸͚̠͋̓͆͋̌̀̕ͅt̷̨̞͇̹͊̅͒͜e̶̹̩̥̜͇͙̫̅̋̏̉̄̚

Another try. I knocked on the door, waiting for a few seconds, before it opened quickly to reveal Tom in front of me, a wide and genuine smile on his face. He giggled, pulling me by my collar and into a warm embrace.

"TOOOOOOORD! IT'S BEEN FOREVER SINCE I SAW YOU!"

Finally, a hug from someone I really care about. My arms laced around his waist, our chests against each other for a moment before he pulled away.

"I set up your bed next to mine. Hope you don't mind!"

Giving him a light shake of the head, I entered the room, only to be hit with a strong smell of alcohol. It made me scrunch up my nose, the sight of many empty Smirnoff bottles making me roll my eyes.

"Command: Reconfigure Tom so that he's not an alcoholic."

c̴̢͎̞̹̙͕̘̼͙̓̑̔ĥ̸͚̙̮͚ͅą̶̬͍̠͍̭̟̟͖͑ŗ̶̛̫̠͉̲͉̐͗̈́̃ͅȁ̸̧̗͉̻̭͒̑̃͌̀̕͠c̸̩̋̈́͛͘͝ţ̷̫̗̭̙̩̲̈́̑̉̃͘͠è̶̫̰́̅͊r̸̳̤͕̠̟̤͉̐͐̽͒̑̍͘͜͜͝ ̴̛̺̹̟̘̍̂̍̂͐͋̔̀Ṯ̵̛͈̘̱͙̲͙̃͗̍̇͘͝ö̵͉̘̺́̑͊̌͑̔̇̍͘ṃ̵̡̛̝̼͚͇̂̍̅̃̚͝͝ ̵̪̭̝̻̞̿̅̂̃̓̔c̵̘̱̔̇̅o̸̩̦̲̞̠̹͍̎͋̈͋̉̽̎̎͠ņ̵̢̭̠̻̭̺̗̅̓̃͒̂̏̓f̷̤̩̩̩͇̌͛̒̑i̷̮̒̀̿̾͝g̵̢̭̪̘̦͇̍̓̄̕̕u̴̧̹̮͖̭̠̤̜̣͒̾̇̿ŗ̵̮̻̲̲̖̗̫̿a̴͚̜͖̳͎̍͒̈́̓̋̐̋͜ͅţ̴͖͉͈̦̺͔̙̾͛͑̉̾͘i̵̳̻̺̠̼̪̗̤̤͐͒ò̵̬͔̗͎͐̔̎n̵̡̧̖͇̖̂́͐̌̕̕͝ ̷̱̲͗c̷͈̗̠͕̟̥̠̊͊̉͌͐̏͐̎o̵̭̖̬͈̥̠̊͗̅͋̇͑̏͝m̸̟͆̾̂̆̎̚p̶̠̰̥̾̋̏̑͛͆̓ļ̸̧̪̩̰̜̲̙̊̏͒̀̾̈́͜e̸͚̠͋̓͆͋̌̀̕ͅt̷̨̞͇̹͊̅͒͜e̶̹̩̥̜͇͙̫̅̋̏̉̄̚

The stench of alcohol and empty bottles immediately disappeared, making a light smile appear on my face. Setting my bags down, I sat on the edge of Tom's bed, looking over to see him sit down next to me with a grin.

"So, how was the big city? Where'd you go?"

Crap, what was the right thing to say? If I told him the truth, I'd have had to start the entire session again.

"Command: Fast forward. Keep a steady relationship with Edd, Matt, and Tom. No wrong answers."

ţ̷͕̻̪͐͆͒͊̌ĭ̸̭͂̈́͌͆̚͝͝m̶̨͕͍̱̘͕̯̪̾͂͗̍̐̓͐ȅ̵̢̨͙̰̠̬̼̪̯͌͆̈́̆̋͠ ̸̩̦̊̍͝d̴̡̝̹̰͔̮͍̤̍͗̌̎͆̑͝ḛ̶̛̩̬̿̏̍̿̎́̚t̵̫̼̤̖̫̩͋͋̆͘a̴̬͛̕ì̷̢͉̫̬͍̘̟͂̂́̅̕͜l̵͓̔̀̓̄́̍̐͠͝ş̴͌ ̸̡̳͇͓͍͕̂͒͝n̴̨̫̜̖̪̻̊ȩ̷̢̳̙̖͙̝̭̿̈̀̔ȩ̴̰̣̦͕̱̼͆͋͐̑̓͝d̷̨͚͖̏͐͝͝ͅĕ̷͕͇͈͌̒ḑ̶̛̞̯̩̺̗̥̇̅̚͠

"Command: Fast forward until 2 months from current time. Evening, around 7pm. Take me to a quiet place with Thomas."

f̵̭̜̘͙̖͈͕̊̈͗̃͘â̵̻̔͝š̸͖͛̑t̷̟̖̯̫͓̮͖̫̆͋͛̈́͌̚ ̵̛͙͉̝͌͆̕f̴̞̈́̋̋̓̕ö̴̧͖͇̞͎̯͎̰͉́̏r̶̻̱̃́̓ẃ̴̤͖̺̻̩͕͇͌͊͋ͅa̶̻̺̜͍̮̖͐͠r̴̮̞͔͖̙̥͑͊́͌̒̃̕̕ḑ̷̪̦̼̂ ̴̭̗̮̗͕̝̙̱̣̿̊͒̽̉́͋̍͝ỉ̷͔̰̼̏̊̎̉ņ̷̡̱̩̭̭̓̈́̿̐̈ȋ̸͚̿̔̾̍͒́̓t̵̨̘̯̜͊̒̃̚i̵̛̛̟͑̂̌̓̈́̄̐a̵̝̣̬͔͊̀̃͋̀̚͝͠t̸͔̟̼̭͙͖͋̿̿͐͘̕ͅͅe̸̟͎̐́̍̑d̵̩̔̌͆̉͒̀͆̚

A glitch appeared in front of me, the setting changing from Tom's room to a quiet hill overlooking the house. He sat next to me, gazing at the sky while watching the sun slowly descend.

With a soft hum, my hand swaying through the grass, I shifted my gaze around awkwardly, unsure if the session had moved quickly enough for me to ask him yet. Then again, who cares if it was too early? I didn't want to wait.

"Tom..."

Said boy turned to look at me, his eyes reflecting the last flicker of sunlight that reached the sky."Yeah, Commie?"

That wonderful nickname he used to spit at me. Strange that I miss it. 

"I've wanted to tell you for a while...I love you."

A moment of silence, nothing but the grass moved by the wind, Tom's face blank and expressionless. Until of course, when his face showed one of disgust, immediately moving away from me and looking away.

"Uhm, s-orry, Tord. B-ut I can't say the s-ame..."

Why did he sound scared? What was he scared of? Me? My feelings towards him?What was so terrifying about loving me?

His answer left me unsatisfied. Of course it did. This wasn't what I wanted. A frown tugging at my lips, Tom's expression turned to one of confusion as I spoke.

"Command: Make Tom fall in love with me."

c̵̛͔̠͉̼̘̰̑̑̆͝h̶̢̢̲͆̋a̶̘̳̣̐͋̐̌̉̅͝͠r̵̻̯̼͙̬͐̔͌̌a̶̤̺̦͊͂̌̽̇͘͠c̵͙̘̮̪̿̈́̓̑͆̊̋͝t̶͒͜͝è̴̗͇͓͚̼̘̞̰̏͑̚̕͜r̴̘̫̔̌͊̓̊̌ͅ ̴̳̊͊T̷̡̛̗̠͚̫̂̉o̵͎͖̤̚m̷̡̮̤̟̠͇̺̞̉ ̷̧̣͚̼̙̜̥͖̆̄͝c̸̗̯̹̈́̂̇̓̋o̷̤̦͈͌̍͌̈̋̉͗͌ņ̷͍͎̼̟̮̘̏́́̈͘͘f̴͓͓̪̮͔͂͒͋͆͋͒̒̿i̸̲̜͋̈́̑͌͆͂͌̒͜g̴̰͉̗̣̏̄͗͗͒͗͘ǘ̶̧̹̩r̵̹̗̻̦̫̣͂̾͝ͅa̵̦̝̖͎̭̯̺͒̐̋̇͛́̕͜ṭ̷̯͕̠͚̯͈̭͔̀̓̇͂̂̆͘͝ḯ̵̧̒̃̃͊̍o̵̭̝̬̮̬͉̙͛͝n̵̒̂ͅ ̵͚̱̪̂̑͒́̐̇͆̍̚c̸̠̮͐̅͂̇̓͝o̴̧̲̺̱͓̘̞̥̩̅̓̂̓̍͋̈̊m̴̲̅p̶̛̳̬̯̲͗́́̊̇̚̚͘l̶̨̳̣̹̦̗̞̟̄̽̍̆͛͠ẽ̵̼̺̭͓̭̿̈́̔̓̅͂t̷̨̰̜͉͂̑ḛ̵͂̎̾̾̚͝ͅ

"Tord, wh-"

A glitch mixing up Tom's face, it wasn't the nicest thing to look at, though it only lasted a second. After that, Tom was smiling with tears pricking his eyes. He jumped on me, my back hitting the soft grass below us.

"I LOVE YOU, TOO!"

He giggled lightly. God, that laugh sounds like the most beautiful music to me. His smile was soft and warm, a gentle breeze pushing his hair around slightly. So beautiful, so perfect.

I held his hips as he straddled me, Tom's hands on my shoulders and his face slowly getting closer to mine. I melted as Tom's lips met mine, our mouths trapped in a moment of bliss and passion. For years I'd longed for this moment. To have Tom to myself, his love meant only for me.

We broke the kiss, Tom panting lightly against my lips with half lidded eyes. He looked drunk on love, the sight making my cheeks heat up. Tom leaned down again, placing a few soft pecks on my lips, before kissing me gently, a soft grunt leaving my lips.

I wanted more.

My hand quickly slid up Tom's shirt, gaining a surprised yelp in return. It would've been adorable, had Tom not pulled off of me and backed away. He looked to the side, a faint blush on his cheeks.

"S-sorry, don't you thi-nk this is moving a bit too fast...?"

Even if I could do anything, my gaze flickered down as I nodded. He was right.

"Y-eah, sorry..."

Unsatisfied again. Why did Tom's hesitance leave an empty feeling in my stomach? It needed to be filled, the feeling was growing worse by the second. I needed Tom. I needed to feel him, know that he was there. Love him, touch him, make him mine.

It was too early. But that could be fixed.

"Command: Fast forward. 4 months from current time. Take me to a romantic setting with Thomas, near 9pm."

r̴͔̦͈͖̈́̒͌͋̾͠ͅë̴̥̻͇͔̖̬̺́̑̓̈́̈́l̵̤̲̘̬̬̻͝͝a̸̢̯̪̱̗͉͎͚͖͑͌͂t̵͕̠̎̂̃i̸̡͉̥̖̩̜̻͉̝̎̂o̸̼̯͠n̵̺̯̳̹̫͚̘̄̃̅͆̕s̷̜̲̪̹͇̲̯͉͛͑h̷͇̩̮̬̙̬̝͈̔̾͠͝͠i̷̱̤̻̮͉̖͛̉̓̕͝p̵̳̻̤̓̈̓̊̊̄͘̚ͅ ̴̡̣̘͍̱͐̊́̈́͑̄̽͜d̸̰̖̝͙͉͍̦̐̉̆̑̔͒̚͝ě̷̩̟͔̙̽̌̌͝͠t̸̛̙͉̬͌̾͂͌͂̉̕a̴̢̡̼̝̫͓̩͈̗͌̓̑͆i̶̤̫̫̹̝͍̝̰̻̅͝l̷͎͔̭̪̺̤͙͔̃̈̉ͅş̸̛͚̦̝̬̘̝̟̅̄͗̽̍ͅ ̴̯̮̟̫͓̩͈͓̣̎̉n̵̤̭̤̹͈̥̈́͌̑̌ḛ̸̫͓̠̑͑e̸͓̘͖̲̦̋̌d̸̡̧̲̬͛̿͝ͅḙ̴͇̘̽̌͊̓͂̑͐̑̓d̵̟͇̜̻͉͎̩̈͂͂͆̎

"Command: Keep a loving relationship with Tom, make him crazy over me. Set atmosphere to romantic."

f̷̘̪̽̀̅͆͝ã̵̧̧̞̪̱̱̰͑̂͗̈̿̑͘s̸̢̛̭͇͔͈̺͌̌̅̕͝t̸̢͚͇̆̏̈̏̑̚͠ ̸̲̳̠̠̊̆̽́̽͠f̶̢̡̧͓̯̾o̵͉͖͎̠̐͋̉̉̊̕r̵̰͐͋͋̓̑̚ŵ̶̨̼̻̜̥̗̯̽̌a̵̛̯̻͚̥̬̤̯̖̾͑̓̒͊͜͝ŗ̴̱̙̏d̵͉̟̻͎̫̜̊̔́̽̐͂͘ ̸͉͐̓͗̈́͂̒̕͜į̴̛̯̗̻̭͚͋n̶̗͎̙̖͚̱̭̄̀̋̂̏̕i̶̡͇̗̪͓̖͙͓̺͂̏̕t̵̲͖̪̯̙̦̹͋i̷͎̪̜̭̖̩̜̤̐͐a̷̹̪̱̪͍̾̈́́̀̇̈́t̴̝̦̑̐̓̔̎̏͝͝e̷̗̰̪̣͆͛̓͗̂̔͑͝ḑ̸̲͚̋̅̈͊̿͘

The scenery changed again, colours filling my vision, frantically moving about. It was hard to see, though it hardly lasted more than a few seconds. When the glitching died down, I saw Tom laying on a velvet blanket, the room coloured a dark red with dim lighting. Tom was completely naked, the sheet barely covering his lower half, while he looked at me with lust, biting his lip lightly.

"I wanted to surprise you after a hard day of work~"

My cheeks heated up tenfold, it didn't take long for my pants to tighten, either. It was almost like something out of my hentai magazines. Though Tom seemed a little too masculine to fit with that category. He almost had no curves whatsoever.

Maybe I'm just a little too nitpicky, but I wanted my time with Tom to be perfect.  
"Command: Make Tom a little more feminine. Give him a curvy figure, kinda thicc, maybe change his voice to a higher pitch."

c̶̤̭̲̼̗̱̎͂̆̄͒͝͠h̸̨̧̖͖̜̮̗̲̓ͅȁ̸̭̼̈́̌͑̉r̴̮͙̳̰͌̋͊̊̄̆͂a̵̳̔͌̽̍́̚͝ç̷̹͉͕̺̾͋͛́͘͠t̷͔̄̎̓͛̔̈́̓̈ę̶̜̹̱̯̖͈̼̟̂̚͘r̸͇͈̥̘̈́̓̑̓͗̈́͒̋͆ ̵̧̰̪̙̣̟͑̋Ṱ̸̠̟̐̇̉̽͑̿̓̚o̶͉͔̯̬̟̟̬̰̒͘m̷̨͙̻̹̀̔̽̑͐̃̿͊ ̴͎͙̻͖͗̈́̔͘ͅc̷̡̟͇̈́͐̑ō̷̮̖̜̏n̶͇̬̦̻͈̤͓͍̾̒̆̓̿͆̕͠ͅf̵̢̻̥̼̠̈́̈i̵̥̞̎̅̊́g̸̨̗͖̙̫̙̥͚̋͛̿͠u̴̢̳͎͙͚͒̂̂̾̅͆̀͗̎͜ȑ̴̡̮̣̝͌̌͑̄̈́͌a̵͎̪̲͇̩̒̓̚t̵̥͚̞̭̝̰̅̉̑̒̓͆͆͠i̴̡̟͇͍̼̙͊̃̄̅͜͝ȏ̴̡̲n̴̡̯͚͚̂͊̂̂̕͘ ̵̢͔̫̤̐̌̋͊̃̐͐̌c̷̗̣̼̠̋͐͌͛̑̊̕͝o̷̟̬͠ṃ̵̨̛̺p̸̢̛̙̠̜͇̺̈́̿̐̈́̎̚͝l̸͚͉̍̑̾͛̌͘͜e̴̡̫̲̣̒̈́̿̂́̒̑̚͠t̷̼̼̦̳͐̿̐̿́͐̚͜ȩ̸̭͉͖̪̠̞͊̿͆͝

Watching Tom's body morph into different shapes and colours turned me off a little. It was more terrifying than pretty. Though, when Tom's new body was done reshaping, it was near impossible to hold back from pouncing on him.

Tom looked up at me with a heavy blush. His build was slim, body curvy, yet his ass and thighs were thick as fuck. He sat up, pressing his legs together while looking up at me, covering his lower half with his hands.

"Tord..."

Oh God, that voice sounded just like my hentai girls. His moans would probably wake up the while neighbourhood, but that was the last thing on my mind.

As I slipped my shirt off, Tom watched me as I walked closer. His eyes were lidded, lip bruising from being bitten so much. His blush was strong and warm, just as mine was. I slipped my pants off before I reached the bed, crawling over the perfect boy. He looked up at me with lust, his legs opening while he spoke with need.

"Take me now."

I did just what he asked. What Tom asked me to do. He wanted me to fuck him. Thomas wanted to make love with me. Thomas Ridge made love with me. And it was absolutely beautiful. His expressions of pleasure frozen on his face, body shivering with need, moans rang through the room as I pounded into him.

The feelings were amazing, heavy pants leaving my lips after it all. My body ached, yet it felt so good. Tom nuzzled into my side, the two of us snuggling under the covers. I was satisfied to an extent, having finally gotten to be as close to Tom as I possibly could.

Yet, why was there still an empty feeling inside of me? Tom simply hugged me tighter, distracting me from my thoughts. Soon enough, he fell asleep in my arms, his soft snored making me aww with a smile.

Nothing much was happening when Tom was asleep. I wasn't tired, so I slipped out of bed and got dressed. Why waste my precious time with sleeping?

"Command: Fast forward. Half a year from current time. Have Edd, Matt, and Tom join the Red Army under my command, as well as keep a loving and lustful relationship with Tom. Have us in public, walking through a park for a date."

I'd always wanted to have a date in the park. Next to a lake, the sun beating down on us, Tom lazily chuckling at a joke I made. I've wanted that for years.

d̶̹̝͎̬̟̞̎e̶̡̲̫̗̞̳̙͗̆̐̒͗͐̄͝t̴͓̺͈̟̆͌́̇̚͝͠͝ă̴̛̞̯̰͓̦̗̈͜͜i̴̫͋̽̈́͒͛̽͊͝l̵̦͋̽͐̑̋s̷̻͚͐̈́͝ ̸̲̚f̸̳̺͍̰̟̲͙̓̆̈́̐̍̃͠o̵̘͓̰̜͓̎̾̆̈͋͝͠ͅͅr̴̢͇̖̋͘ ̷̢̲̘͙̱͋̀c̶̢̛̰̙̭͍͕͋̔͋̚̕h̴̲̤̠̒â̶̭͍̻͉̝͒̄̎ŕ̵̢̫̎́̀̈́â̵̢̢̲̤͖̤̹̭c̸̢͇̼̦̾́͠t̴̤̮̄̐͗̕e̸̻̚r̴͎̜̺̠̞̗͈̺̓͐̊̔͘ṣ̶̹̜̪̖̌̍̃̉ ̸͙̊Ē̸̡͙̟̘̠̦̱͈͋̃̌͜͠ḑ̸̛̞̬̻͔̗͎̎͊̒͘ḑ̴̫̰̻̲̳̰̖͛̆̒̎͆̏̕,̸̩̺͍̬̐̏ ̸̬̟̦͇̫̖̈́͋M̷̱͎͎̜̣̜͛͛̓͛̆̐̉̄̈a̴̼͎̫̻͇͎̟̕͝͝ţ̷̣̗͔̫̈̈́̀͝ţ̶͍̗̪͔̤́̊̂̉,̴̢̭̗̠̭͖̰̣͇̅̃͌́͛ ̸̨͙̝̣͍̳̙̉͆T̴̖̣̖̲̯̤̭̾̈́͆ö̷͉̤́͆̎m̷̱͎̽͗̆́̇́̇̕ͅ ̸̡͓̩̝̖̙̯͌̃̈́͊̊̑̊͆͘͜n̸̢̧͉͎̼̹̩̔̐̍̊͝ͅe̴̤̮̳̒̊̽̍̈̓͝͝͠ę̷̼͍̲͙̖̼̌̈́̃̐̈̄̊̈́ͅd̴̘̱̠̗̬̦̰͆̾͆͆͘̚͝͠͠e̸̡͛̒̓̋̈́͝͝ḍ̷̦͋̿̂͌̂͛́́

Details? Oh, probably job descriptions.

"Command: Have Edd and Matt stationed as soldiers, and make Tom my... uh... bodyguard."That way, Tom would be around me pretty much 24/7. Then again, he would've been around me all the time anyway.

f̸͍͖̺̳̱͒̋̓͘͘͝ả̷̢͍͕͚͈̦̬̚͝ͅs̶̢̢̢̧͍̬̹̜͍̄̀̚t̴̝͛ ̵̰̟̄̀͛̒f̶̱͕̘͈̭̬̭̦́͋̈́o̷̱̘̞̞̳̹͓͑̀͜ͅr̶̗͓̰̮̣͖̔͑̐͐̍w̶̼͚͙̼̍̈́̒a̵͖͖̿̎͌̆̃̅̇͐͂r̵̡̞̯̦͖̙̹̝͗̉͜d̸̡̈́͒̑͐̄͐͠͝ ̴̺̫̟̘̫̿́̽͒͑̉́̍ḯ̷̛̝̳̉̎̽̉̐͗̏ń̸̨̛͔̬͌̃i̷̗͙̅t̷͍͈̜̏̄̍͒̒i̵̡̟̥̖̔͆̈́̈́̇͜a̷̬͈̖͐͝t̷͎͌̾e̶͙̟͚̭͎̰̝͖̯͒̒̃̃̂d̷͍̱͎́͊̌̑͌̃̚͝

Bright lights flickered around me, shapes and colours constantly changing as the scenery flickered from the room to the park. Tom's body glitched from the bed to the spot beside me, his face contorted into strange expressions randomly generated. The images were getting to me, symbols and numbers appearing and disappearing out of nowhere, the walls of the large room coming into view a few times.

As the park came into view, I was met with drops of rain falling onto the ground, the sky above casting a dim lighting down upon us. Tom's hand was laced around mine, his flickering body sometimes disappearing for a short amount of time. No light shone down on us, no other people in sight.

Tom was dressed in a strange uniform, his dress pants and vest slightly hiding his feminine figure. His face still glitched every few seconds, changing from his flirty expression to ones ranging from pain to joy. It terrified me to my core, his expression freezing on a crooked smile. His eyes wide with fear, though his lips were curled up into a smile, head tilted to the side as he looked at me.

"I'm having a g̷͖͔̗͖̪̼̰͊̂́͑͌̓͊̑̕ͅ-̶͙̮̱͇̼̍̐̋͆̋́̌̿͛ͅr̷̰͎̣̔̀-̸̬̗͙̰̳̂̀͂̄̿͊͗r̸̲̓̔́̾͝-̴̡̥͌̇̇̽͝e̵̹͓̿̈̆-̵͉̳̱͉̍a̷̛̻̝̱̭̳̿̋̂̾͐̅͜͝-̵̯͖͉̌a̵̧̛͇̟̼͙̪͌͛́̌̔́́͑͜-̸̡̩̠̖̜̫̑̔̽̐͐͛̊̆͜͝t̸͙̯̐͌̎̊̕͝ time on this date, T̸̡̢̨͉̟̺̥̭̭̈́̉̋͌̀o̸̢͓̯̣̪̱͐̅̾́͘͝͝-̶̨̮̪̠͙̘̝͐r̸̟̟̙̺͐̌͑̂̈̾̏̕-̸͔̉̓̀̈́͗͋̎͝r̴̨̬̜̣͕̮͍̅͜͜-̴̢̼̖̰̗̹̿͜ͅr̸̨͕͓̬̰͍͙͒̈́-̷̠̬͔́̉̐͆̉̿̅͠ḏ̶̨̳͕͌́̈́̊͒̌͗y!"

No. No, this isn't right.

This isn't right at all.

Tom's smile grew, open mouthed with eyes coated in fear. He didn't look human. More water poured on us, the rain getting heavier by the second. Glitches in scenery surrounded us, people appearing then vanishing at random times.

"COMMAND: CHANGE WEATHER TO SUNNY."

c̵̏́͒̓̑̋͜o̵͉̯̟̰̜̳̣͆̚͠m̸͉̜̘͔̗͙̀̿͗̓̍͗́ͅm̷̝̌a̶̯̺͍̖͓̓̈̈̚ͅn̸̛̩̞̻̥̠̱̆̑̂̎͆d̸̦̭͉̓́͋ ̶̧͓͔̜̻̱͈̋̔̍̕͝c̵̩͍̳̘̋̅͆ḁ̴̗̠͚͇̭͇̘̏͗̈́̋̍͝n̵̡̙̟̹̍̏̒͒͗́ņ̴̫͝o̶̰̹̗͕͓̬̗̿͒̌̕̕̕͘͜͝t̶̝͈̪͈̝̳̿̽͊̌̓͘ͅ ̵̰̠̲̭̯̊b̸̦̬͎̬̒͜͝e̶̜̥̮̭̯̅̿̿ ̵̢͍̫͈͈̃̋͊̂͊̈́͛̚ĕ̸̙̎͆̚x̴̛̫̭͕́͊̂̚̕͘ȩ̴̝̬̞̖͍̣̍̀͘͜c̵͈͔̜̤͍͎̊̊u̵͖̗̍̓t̵̬̎̏̋͗̽͘͘͝ͅe̸̦̒ḑ̶̛̰̥̝̜̻̙̬͙

Fear settled in when Tom wrapped himself around my arm, his body seeming to go through me as he giggled like a toddler. That face didn't go well with that laugh.

"COMMAND: FIX WHATEVER'S WRONG WITH TOM!"

c̵̏́͒̓̑̋͜o̵͉̯̟̰̜̳̣͆̚͠m̸͉̜̘͔̗͙̀̿͗̓̍͗́ͅm̷̝̌a̶̯̺͍̖͓̓̈̈̚ͅn̸̛̩̞̻̥̠̱̆̑̂̎͆d̸̦̭͉̓́͋ ̶̧͓͔̜̻̱͈̋̔̍̕͝c̵̩͍̳̘̋̅͆ḁ̴̗̠͚͇̭͇̘̏͗̈́̋̍͝n̵̡̙̟̹̍̏̒͒͗́ņ̴̫͝o̶̰̹̗͕͓̬̗̿͒̌̕̕̕͘͜͝t̶̝͈̪͈̝̳̿̽͊̌̓͘ͅ ̵̰̠̲̭̯̊b̸̦̬͎̬̒͜͝e̶̜̥̮̭̯̅̿̿ ̵̢͍̫͈͈̃̋͊̂͊̈́͛̚ĕ̸̙̎͆̚x̴̛̫̭͕́͊̂̚̕͘ȩ̴̝̬̞̖͍̣̍̀͘͜c̵͈͔̜̤͍͎̊̊u̵͖̗̍̓t̵̬̎̏̋͗̽͘͘͝ͅe̸̦̒ḑ̶̛̰̥̝̜̻̙̬͙

"COMMAND: STATUS REPORT ON THE SIMULATION!"

c̵̏́͒̓̑̋͜o̵͉̯̟̰̜̳̣͆̚͠m̸͉̜̘͔̗͙̀̿͗̓̍͗́ͅm̷̝̌a̶̯̺͍̖͓̓̈̈̚ͅn̸̛̩̞̻̥̠̱̆̑̂̎͆d̸̦̭͉̓́͋ ̶̧͓͔̜̻̱͈̋̔̍̕͝c̵̩͍̳̘̋̅͆ḁ̴̗̠͚͇̭͇̘̏͗̈́̋̍͝n̵̡̙̟̹̍̏̒͒͗́ņ̴̫͝o̶̰̹̗͕͓̬̗̿͒̌̕̕̕͘͜͝t̶̝͈̪͈̝̳̿̽͊̌̓͘ͅ ̵̰̠̲̭̯̊b̸̦̬͎̬̒͜͝e̶̜̥̮̭̯̅̿̿ ̵̢͍̫͈͈̃̋͊̂͊̈́͛̚ĕ̸̙̎͆̚x̴̛̫̭͕́͊̂̚̕͘ȩ̴̝̬̞̖͍̣̍̀͘͜c̵͈͔̜̤͍͎̊̊u̵͖̗̍̓t̵̬̎̏̋͗̽͘͘͝ͅe̸̦̒ḑ̶̛̰̥̝̜̻̙̬͙

"Who are you t̸̛̛͙̮̹̂̑̆̋̍̅͜-̸̢̥̙̪̻̬̦͉͔̑̑̌̈́͠t̸̡̤͚̯͇̱̦̜͑̎͗̅̔͊̚͝ͅ-̵̢͕͓̜̣͎̗͈̼̒͑̚a̶̖͖͆͑͂-̸̗̮̳̩̬̝͉͔̯̒̃̈́̎̾̏̈͌͠l̵̠̤̹̬̹̍-̴̧̞̯͔͍͙̜̰̀̔̌̚͠k̷̰̤̬̙̪̞̂-̷̯̜̣̻͍̽̏̔̆k̶̗̙̭̀̓͆͑-̸̡̘̳̞̗̰͈̈́̆͌͌̉͊̈́͠i̵̡̬͓̳̫̞͔͗̆͒͒-̶̤͖͉̫̃͑̅͒̈́̌̆͜ň̸̡̩͈͙̩̻̫̩͇̉̓̋͒̄̉͠-̴͉͕̫̣̻͉̀̄̂͐̊̏̔ģ̵̨̟͇̯͔͖̂͌̇͜-̶̦̇̍͗̕͝g̵͙̟͈͐̓̌ to, Tordy̸̙͎͎̖̩̓̾͊̏̃̿͠͝ͅ-̴̱͍͊y̸̨̧̹̯̣͕̪̆́̈̈̇̌͝-̶̛͔̗̜̞̈́̃͆y̴̧̦̣̜̬̹̮͆̒̓̀̓̂̚͜͠-̷̨̡̢̞̻͖̜͙͈̀̎̐̓̀͝y̴͚͔̳̥͇̫̪̫̌̌͗̋̽-̴̖͈͕̜̱̝̐̂̎͂͐̉̋ẙ̷̪̦̐̑̐̕͠ͅ-̴̧̡̛̙͕̼̌̇̽͂͊̚y̸̭̖̦̺̖̞̞̗͒-̵̛̰̯͉̣͕̋͆̄̂̈y̵͉͕̐̓̇̀̿͒͠-̴̛̹̣̔́̈́̏͊̕͝y̷̢̺̳͓̹̮̒̾ͅͅ-̶̢͇̈́̏̾̈́ỷ̴͚̥̽~?"

Tom's voice dropped at the end of his question, changing from a high pitch to a lower tone, as if a toy was losing power. My heart raced, Tom's wide eyes staring into my soul, fear settling as I tried pulling away. Tom didn't let go, holding onto me tightly while his body constantly glitched. Only when a shot was heard, did he let go.

A black figure in the distance shot a sniper at me, I could make out a uniform coloured in green, though it changed colour with every passing second. The bullet flew through the park, its form changing from a small ball to a large, colourful object I couldn't identify. My eyes widened as it came towards me, mind clouded in panic and fear, I was unable to move.

Tom's formless body jumped in front of me, the bullet lodged into his head as he fell over. My heart stopped, it felt as if everything slowed down. The figure in the distance vanished, his red eyes being the last thing I'd seen of him.

Heavy breathing came from Tom, colourful blood pouring from his wavering body. His broken voice called for me, I was at his side in an instant. Sections of his body disappeared with the scenery, though his hand firmly held mine.

"COMMAND: REWIND!"

c̵̩̍͒ơ̷̛͚̮̘̬̯͇͉̿͗̔̒m̴̨̫̺̘̿͜͠m̵̭͙̬̱̆̊̈́͝ȧ̸̢͉̤̳͚̻̖̊̋̕ͅn̶͇̙̩̪͐̄̅̎̍̀ḏ̷̢͔̯̩͉̮͕̆̚ͅ ̸̨͇̫̼̩̬̘̘̄͗̂͋c̷̺̘̼͝ͅa̵̬͒̅̈̐̅͝͝͠n̸͚̻͓̯͈̻̄̈̎̓̐̕͘͘n̷͙̎̇̈́͆o̶͓̼̎͑̽̾̎̽̏̾͝t̶̛̹̝̪̪̩͇͖̘͎͐͋̉͑͑ ̷̢̹̰̟͚͇̄͌̇̃̈́͊͘͘b̴͔͔͍̬̣̆e̷̛̙̥̖̣͖͕̬̿̽͊̍̑̚ ̸̱͕͇͝͝ể̶͇̪̲̱̦̺̺͇̮̆̀̐͆͂x̷̧̫̘͉̽̄̋̓͌̎͛͠ḙ̴̡̪͈̰̝̣̀̉͋̿̽͗̊̕c̵̨̛͖͙̪̟͈͍̯̈́͋̊͂́ṷ̷̘͍̍͐͛͊̒ţ̷͖͍̍̋̅̓̔̀̕ę̵̪̥̎d̷̘̮͚̟̯͖̝̲́̓̂͐̈́́̑͜͝

"STOP TOM FROM DYING!"

c̵̩̍͒ơ̷̛͚̮̘̬̯͇͉̿͗̔̒m̴̨̫̺̘̿͜͠m̵̭͙̬̱̆̊̈́͝ȧ̸̢͉̤̳͚̻̖̊̋̕ͅn̶͇̙̩̪͐̄̅̎̍̀ḏ̷̢͔̯̩͉̮͕̆̚ͅ ̸̨͇̫̼̩̬̘̘̄͗̂͋c̷̺̘̼͝ͅa̵̬͒̅̈̐̅͝͝͠n̸͚̻͓̯͈̻̄̈̎̓̐̕͘͘n̷͙̎̇̈́͆o̶͓̼̎͑̽̾̎̽̏̾͝t̶̛̹̝̪̪̩͇͖̘͎͐͋̉͑͑ ̷̢̹̰̟͚͇̄͌̇̃̈́͊͘͘b̴͔͔͍̬̣̆e̷̛̙̥̖̣͖͕̬̿̽͊̍̑̚ ̸̱͕͇͝͝ể̶͇̪̲̱̦̺̺͇̮̆̀̐͆͂x̷̧̫̘͉̽̄̋̓͌̎͛͠ḙ̴̡̪͈̰̝̣̀̉͋̿̽͗̊̕c̵̨̛͖͙̪̟͈͍̯̈́͋̊͂́ṷ̷̘͍̍͐͛͊̒ţ̷͖͍̍̋̅̓̔̀̕ę̵̪̥̎d̷̘̮͚̟̯͖̝̲́̓̂͐̈́́̑͜͝

"GO BACK! STOP!! TAKE THE BULLET OUT! SAVE HIM!"

c̵̩̍͒ơ̷̛͚̮̘̬̯͇͉̿͗̔̒m̴̨̫̺̘̿͜͠m̵̭͙̬̱̆̊̈́͝ȧ̸̢͉̤̳͚̻̖̊̋̕ͅn̶͇̙̩̪͐̄̅̎̍̀ḏ̷̢͔̯̩͉̮͕̆̚ͅ ̸̨͇̫̼̩̬̘̘̄͗̂͋c̷̺̘̼͝ͅa̵̬͒̅̈̐̅͝͝͠n̸͚̻͓̯͈̻̄̈̎̓̐̕͘͘n̷͙̎̇̈́͆o̶͓̼̎͑̽̾̎̽̏̾͝t̶̛̹̝̪̪̩͇͖̘͎͐͋̉͑͑ ̷̢̹̰̟͚͇̄͌̇̃̈́͊͘͘b̴͔͔͍̬̣̆e̷̛̙̥̖̣͖͕̬̿̽͊̍̑̚ ̸̱͕͇͝͝ể̶͇̪̲̱̦̺̺͇̮̆̀̐͆͂x̷̧̫̘͉̽̄̋̓͌̎͛͠ḙ̴̡̪͈̰̝̣̀̉͋̿̽͗̊̕c̵̨̛͖͙̪̟͈͍̯̈́͋̊͂́ṷ̷̘͍̍͐͛͊̒ţ̷͖͍̍̋̅̓̔̀̕ę̵̪̥̎d̷̘̮͚̟̯͖̝̲́̓̂͐̈́́̑͜͝

Tom's maniacal laughing played over the robotic voice, his eyes still wide and smile still stuck. His voice grew louder, limps constantly vanishing for seconds at a time. Blood spilled from his chest and mouth, colours and shapes always morphing into something else. Rain continued to pour on us, droplets feeling as heavy as stone.

Another bullet shot towards me, the scenery broke off, no shape being held for more than a second. The new bullet flew towards me quickly, its own form altering as it came closer. Tom's blood collected under me, drenching my clothes and staining my skin. The bullet came closer, Tom's face frozen as his laughter continued to ring, the stench of blood overpowering my senses while my chest got tighter and tighter-

"End session."

Paul's voice rang over everything, the entire simulation disappearing at once. The bullet never hit, the smell of blood had disappeared, while Tom was no longer under me, holding my hand while he laughed.

No, it was all gone.

Replacing it, was an empty room, white and blank. My back was turned to the other man, his footsteps echoing as he stopped walking and stood behind me. Silence played between us, my heartbeat slowly coming down, breath still shallow.

"You can't fix your past mistakes, Tord. You ruined your own life."

My brows furrowed, scowl showing through the tears, yet I stayed quiet.

"There's no command to change people, or have the perfect life."

Anger was pushed down deep inside of me, feelings of regret and pain coming to the surface as Paul spoke.

"I just wanted to love Tom..."

That's all I've ever wanted. To love the eyeless Brit who used to taunt me years ago. "Was that Tom? You changed almost everything about him."

My gaze was kept on the floor, my metal hand wiping away a tear that had escaped.

"Wh-at happened...?"

A soft sigh left the man behind me. He sat down next to me with a blank expression.

"I told you, Tord. There's no command to fix anything or anyone. No way to go back or forward in time. Every command made the computer overload."

I pulled my knees up as Paul spoke, nodding lightly at his words. The image of Tom dying with that twisted face seemed burned into my mind, every blink showed a picture of it. Paul seemed to understand, as he put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a soft smile.

"The simulation of Tom is dead. But the real one is still out there, Tord. Somewhere. Edd and Matt, too."

Those words got me to perk up, my head turning towards the other with a hopeful smile.

"You think... they might forgive me?"

Paul chuckled lightly, giving me a soft nod.

"Just remember, you can't change anyone. No matter how rude they might be to you."

I let out a light laugh, Paul helping me to my feet as we made our way out the door.

\----------

My left hand laid neatly in my hoodie as my metal fingers knocked on the apartment door.

Weeks had built up to this moment, a day where I would knock this time around, instead of pick locks to get inside.


	35. Steady breaths

Tucked into bed again, the boy had fallen asleep in his arms. A kiss was planted on his forehead as Tord sat next to him on the mattress, stroking his hair. The only sounds heard in the room were the steady breaths coming from Tom, eyes closed softly and body relaxed.

Tord's feet couldn't touch the ground, his toes an inch from the hardwood floor. He swung his legs lightly while watching over his friend, noticing how the other stirred and twitched, his face making quick, hardly noticeable movements. Of course, Tord noticed them. He always had.

"Sleep good, Tommy. I love you..."

The child pecked Tom's cheek, his own turning a soft shade of red. He smiled warmly, heart fluttering while his feet lifted and pressed onto the ground in a rhythm, walking to his own bed.

Tord missed doing small things like that when Tom left. He missed watching him sing in the bedroom when he thought no one was watching. He missed cuddling him when Tom was upset. He mostly missed running hand in hand with him to the playground, playing tag in the grass while their friends stayed on the monkey bars and watched.

The ghost of a hand in his was all he could feel when he waved goodbye to his blue wearing friend, heart no longer fluttering and nights no longer spent with a smile on his face. All other boys in the room felt sad when he left, the four friends now a group of three.

Though, as years went by, Tord had almost completely forgotten about his friend. The one he used to snuggle with when he couldn't sleep. Tom, the boy he told all of his secrets to.He had more now, enough time passing by for him to lead his own life.  
He moved in with his other two friends, the three of them living in a cozy house together. They all got jobs, hobbies, lives only linked to the others by their past and shared home.

As Tord grew up, tinkering became his favourite pastime. Not having his closest friend around to play with him meant he had to find other things to keep him occupied, small gadgets around the orphanage soon ending up in the hands of the small boy. He broke them, fixed them, soon showing telltale signs of natural talent when it came to these kinds of things.

It became a profession, keeping Tord busy as an inventor and engineer. His mind was always set on work, past memories in the godawful house he grew up in having no place in his thoughts. They were almost completely gone. No need for them in his head.

That being said, the bar was his favourite place to visit. He wasn't an alcoholic, though the frequent visits to the bar got him buzzed enough to put a smile on his face as if he were a kid again. Rarely did he get drunk, though it wasn't as if he would completely refrain from it.

A blurry outline of a man helping him walk, words going through one ear and out the other without being processed at all. Tord couldn't see where he was going, who was taking him, or what time of day it was to begin with. He was long gone, babbling on and on while the blurry figure beside him placed him in a car and drove.

"A-nD THeN! T-om sAid he WAs gONNA movE! I criEd and CRied..."

The car turned a corner, eventually pulling up after about ten minutes of driving.

"I miSs tHaT GuY. Di-d I Tel-L you I HaD the B-iGgEST CruSh o-on hiM?! He waS S-oOo cu-TE!"

A chuckle ringing in his ear, Tord's mind was starting to clear up, though he was still far from sober. He was brought into a house, sitting on a soft couch on which he almost fell asleep. The drunk man was given a glass of water, the liquid shaking softly in his grip.

"I-I mis-s Tom s-o mu-ch..."

With no control over his emotions, Tord found a tear rolling down his cheek, reality seeming to morph around him back to when he was a child. Toys scattered across the floor, a gloomy atmosphere falling on everyone. Grey skies seen through the window, sunlight seemingly forgotten and washed away from existence. Tom sitting on a chair in front of him, a glass of water fresh from the tap in his hands.

The reality of it all didn't strike him until he was pushed down onto the couch, the grey skies turning back to showing stars scattered everywhere across a black field. His lovely dreamlike state had faded away, his vision limited to only seeing the legs of the stranger laying him down on the bed.

A blanket was draped over Tord's heavy body, the Norsk trying to keep himself awake to find out who the stranger looking after him was. The feeling of someone tucking him in made him smile softly, his eyes shutting close and heart fluttering when a light kiss was planted on his cheek.

"Sleep well, Tordy. I love you, too."

Reality, or a dream? Tord couldn't tell the difference, Tom's warm voice sending him into a wonderful slumber, the touch of his kiss lingering on his cheek as his steady breaths rang through the room.


	36. Happy Halloween

As the wind runs past the house where our characters stay  
All four boys on their beds, under covers they lay  
Every bed taken up by a boy of their own  
All except two; one taken, one alone

As the boys, Edd and Matt, sleep blissfully well  
Their dreams uninterrupted, as if casting a spell  
For only dark witchcraft can let someone sleep  
Rather have them wake up by the moans, long and deep

Loud and like savages, the boys, Tord and Tom  
Tumble over each other, bodies sweaty and warm  
Deep grunts fill the room, both unable to stop  
Their breaths heavy and tired till they cum every drop

So as the wolves howl  
And the old witches scowl  
While the many young children get scared of a growl

And the babies were tucked  
And the vampires sucked  
It came as no surprise

That Tom and Tord fucked.


	37. Good dom

Tord leaned over the back of the couch, his head to the right of Tom's, though still out of sight. The smaller boy was watching a stupid movie, curled up in a checkered blanket his boyfriend had gotten him for their dating anniversary.

Taken by surprise, Tom let out a yelp when he left a pair of arm wrap around his chest while someone snuggled the back of his neck. Tord giggled and peppered light kisses over Tom's skin, making the other pout with a glare at the TV.

"Tord, stop. I'm trying to watch the movie."

With another set of giggles, the taller slid over the side of the couch face first, landing with his head on the couch and a wide smile directed at Tom.

"Sorry, Tommy. I'm just trying to give you loving attention! Isn't that what good doms do?"

A scoff and pout, Tom kept his arms folded over his chest, cheeks tinted a light pink.

"Good doms don't interrupt their boyfriend's movie."

Frowning with a tired expression, Tord sighed and sat up correctly, shuffling over to his boyfriend and getting under the blanket with him. Tom scooted away, though ended up being pulled into a giant hug by the other, eventually giving up and melting into his touch.

\----------------

"Be right back! I'm going to the store to get some stuff!"

Tord skidded to a halt once he ran from the hallway to the door, out of breath and panting as he stood in front of his confused boyfriend.

"L-et me g-o sh-opping fo-r you!"

His heavy pants got in the way of talking, holding a finger up to Tom to give him a moment. Tom simply rolled his eyes, moving closer to the door, his boyfriend calling out to him again.

"TOM! You don't have to! I can do it for you!"

Letting out a light sigh, Tom turned around and looked at the other with an amused smirk.

"Why do you want to go shopping so badly?"

A small moment of silence passed, Tord looking off a bit to the side while fiddling with his hoodie strings.

"I just.. wanna be a good dom. Isn't doing chores something good doms do?"

Tom dropped his smirk, folding his arms over his chest while talking.

"Going shopping isn't a chore. It's something I want to and can do alone. Now, I'll be a good sub and go shopping while you stay here and stop worrying about being a bad boyfriend."

He pecked the other on the cheek, giving him a tired smile.

"I'll be back soon, ok?"

Tord simply sighed and nodded, waving at the other as he left. The taller stood in the door frame for a few minutes after the other was out of sight, before going back inside with a bleak aura.

\-------------------------

"Tord! Could you come in here please?"

Hearing his lover call from the bedroom, Tord got up from the couch and lazily walked towards the closed door. He'd stopped trying to be a good dom after Tom told him to leave him alone for a bit, which made Tord want to break down. Nevertheless, he continued on his way there, turning the door handle and walking inside.

He was met with the sight of roses covering the bed, the lighting having been dimmed down to a more romantic and passionate setting, a bottle of lube and some rope on the nightstand. The best part of it all was no doubt Tom in the middle of the bed, hands tied to the bedpost while his bare body was shown on display to the Norski.

"Wh-at's all this for..?"

The door shutting smoothly behind him, Tord walked slowly up to the bed, seeing Tom's lustful expression on his face.

"You keep trying to be a good dom, don't you? Why not prove how good you are?"

Tom slightly shuffled closer to Tord, wrapping his bare legs around his waist with a soft grunt.

"But I kept trying to be a good dom-"

The sub cut Tord's sentence off by squeezing his waist, pulling him closer and pecking his lips with a lot of effort.

"Tordy, you weren't trying to be a good dom. You were trying to be a good boyfriend. Which you are, ok?"

Smiling softly and nodding, Tord peppered kisses all over Tom's neck and chest, giggles erupting from the other's mouth as he did so. Eventually, the giggles died down, Tord undressing himself and running his hands smoothly over Tom's soft skin, the sub gasping at the sensations.

"I'm the best fucking dom you'll ever get."

All Tom could do was nod while his boyfriend proved his point.


	38. Cuddly

Tom sighed as he looked in the mirror, his shirt and pants placed on top of his bed to expose his upper half. He grimaced at the sight of his belly, poking out over his boxers and completely ruining any chance of being thin in the eyes of society. He lightly poked at it, watching how his stomach wobbled once he took it away.

He hated his body. He hated how his belly stuck out, how his thighs rubbed together when he walked, how he always had to wear loose clothing to seem thinner in comparison. He'd tried getting rid of it, though for every lap of exercise, there were three bars of chocolate to counter the effect.

Comfort eating for the discomfort of being in his body. Tom couldn't find a way to break the cycle.

With a sharp breath, Tom pulled in his stomach, trying to appear thinner. He pushed it back with his hand, placed the hem of his boxers on his fat, eventually simply looking away from the mirror once he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Tommy! I made dinner, you coming?"

His loving boyfriend called out to him with a voice as sweet as candy. Though, the thought of eating with such a weight didn't seem appealing to Tom one bit. He felt undeserving of having such a wonderful partner, truth be told. Tord had a perfect body. His face was perfectly symmetrical, a six pack complimenting his look. Stormy eyes and soft, caramel hair.

Tom looked back at his slightly puffy cheeks, messy hair and black eyes seeming a step down from Tord's handsome appearance. As he stood in front of the mirror wearing nothing but boxers, every mistake on his body seemed to jump out at him. Tom couldn't see anything but fat, disgust washing over him. Tord's call seemed to have left his mind completely, fixated on the reflection in the mirror.

"Tommy? Is everything ok?"

Finally hearing his boyfriend's voice again, Tom whipped his head to see Tord look at him through the door, neither of them moving for a few seconds. Eventually, Tord walked inside, seeing Tom hug his waist with a disappointed expression on his face. The older knew exactly what was going through Tom's head, having seen how Tom reacted every time he looked at his stomach.

Immediately, Tord wrapped his arms around his lover, pulling him close and patting his hair softly. The smaller looked away from the mirror, stuffing his face into the other's shirt while lightly sniffling. After a few minutes of Tord shushing his lover, holding him closely while letting the other sob into his shirt, Tom spoke up with a soft voice.

"I-I'm so fa-t.. and ug-ly."

Tord shook his head, pulling Tom back slightly to look him in the eye, lifting his chin up slightly.

"No.. no, no, Tom! You're not fat. Maybe a little chubby, but it's not like that's bad!"

The smaller looked away once more, whimpering a bit. Even though his lover always tried giving him more confidence about his appearance, Tom always went back to looking at his reflection and crying. Once realising Tom didn't believe him, Tord frowned lightly and pulled away. In one swift motion, Tord picked his boyfriend up by the waist, holding him closely as Tom instinctively wrapped his legs around the other's waist.

"TOOORD! Put me down!"

The older only giggled at how adorable his pouting boyfriend was, awwing at the small male in his hold.

"See? I can still pick you up! You're not overweight, kjaere."

Crossing his arms, Tom looked away from the other, though couldn't help but let a smile crawl onto his lips. His boyfriend always distracted him from his troubles, lightening the mood with his sweet antics.

"Still. I don't wanna break your back." 

Ruffling Tord's hair, Tom giggled as his lover let out a soft sigh, eventually laying Tom down on the bed. Rather than let his partner get up, Tord crawled on top of Tom before he could escape, his arms on either side of Tom's chest. Before even getting a word of complaint out, Tom's lips were occupied by those of his lover, mouths moving together in a soft and loving rhythm. Once pulling away, Tord's lips didn't leave his lover's skin, traveling down his neck and to his chest.

"T-Tord.."

A sharp gasp cut Tom off as he felt the other lightly nibble and lick his nipples, playing with them for a bit before continuing down. An uncomfortable whine left the smaller's lips once he felt Tom kiss his stomach. He couldn't get rid of the thought of Tord having to kiss every part of his belly, knowing it would take minutes before he got to every piece of flab.

Tord kissed every part of Tom's belly in mere seconds, moving down, over Tom's lower half, to his thighs. Tom was squirming the entire time, feeling uncomfortable, yet loved. Letting his lips dance over Tom's soft skin, the Norski made sure to love every sensitive spot on Tom's body. In return, his lover gave shuddered breaths, tangling his fingers in Tord's hair as the other ran his hands over Tom's sides. After sharing his love with every part of Tom's body, Tord went back up to his boyfriend's face, staring into his eyes with a lovesick expression.

"Your body is so beautiful, Thomas. Even if you're not slim, that just means there's more of you to love."

In a way Tom couldn't explain for the life of him, Tord always knew exactly how to make him believe what he was saying. His smooth voice laced with love and care, his soft touch that had Tom melting at the feeling, everything Tord did to him had his mind filled with thoughts of pure love. Nothing and no one could compare to his boyfriend, the man who picked him up when he fell down.

"I love you so much, Tord."

Hearing those words were enough for Tord to feel absolutely complete, giggling with his lover as he wrapped his arms around Tom and snuggled him tightly. Despite the playful threats Tom sent his way, Tord didn't move at all from holding his lover, Tom eventually breaking down and doing the same back.

"You wanna know why I love your body, Tom?"

The small male hummed in question, his eyes closed with a smile of bliss on his lips.

"You're so cuddly and soft. I love hugging you."

The rest of the morning was spent in bed, cuddling together while eating breakfast. Tom in Tord's lap, the smaller felt no need to guilt himself into exercising or cutting down on food. Instead, he happily snuggled into the hold of his boyfriend, feeling blissful and comfortable in his arms.


	39. Moonlight walz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1KejXsVKBc  
> Song: Homestuck – Candles and Clockwork/Moonsetter Overlay

Two men dancing together; one happy, one sad.

A man in red, a smile on his lips as his feet stepped on the crystal lake, his crimson body glistening in the pale moonlight. A step, a drop of water connecting his body to the lake before sinking back into the inky blue. His light was warm and bright, an aura of joy and calmness carried with him. Steps taken gracefully, gliding across the water as his body moved in a slow rhythm with the sounds of the night.

A man in blue, sitting on the edge of the water, still and quiet. His midnight colours blending into the darkness around him, a cold aura of sadness surrounding him. His void eyes staring out into the pitch black sky, stars twinkling in his vision, reaching out to touch them. Earthbound, he wasn't able to escape this world, stuck forever to the water he sat on, his body's light dimming with every second. A frown on his face, tears running down, only to be connected to the lake on which he was stuck.

Feet gliding across the lake, Tord caught sight of a beautiful figure, his light burning as dimly as the moon. He stepped with grace to the blue figure, dancing around to bend beside him, his hand stretched out for the boy to take. Tom, feeling a warm glow of a red form beside him, one he had never seen before. The red man carried with feelings of comfort, warmth and happiness seeming so alien to the blue form.

Just as Tom was intrigued, as was the red figure. He had never seen such a lonely soul, his colours so cold, face so unhappy. He seemed to have been sitting since his existence, never having known the wonders and joys of gliding across the lake under the moonlight.

Curious, enchanted by the other form, the two colours couldn't take their eyes off of each other, their hands mixing from warm and cold to a soft, cool temperature. Tom's face still one of unhappiness while Tord's was one of joy, the opposites stood in front of each other, both hands joined together while the moon shone down on them.

One step, the blue man looking at the other, watching in wonder as his foot pressed ever so gently on the water before skipping to the other. Tord looked back at the blue figure, watching him take a step, his foot connected to the lake, hardly lifting more than a few drops from the water. Trying again, the red form danced around his counterpart, stopping to have the other do the same.

The blue form didn't trust himself to step along the water alone. His midnight colours sinking back into the darkness, Tord's smile turned dim, seeing the other slowly walk away from him. For the first time, the red form felt cold without blue, his feet hitting the water as he went after the other man, watching as Tom's heavy steps turned soft and gentle as he ran away. He was gliding across the water, droplets falling from his midnight eyes. Fear of the warmth made him run, scared of the smile he had never seen before. What was once curiosity turned to sadness, the blue man being far from the red, the edge of the lake once again being his place of rest.

Soft steps on the water were taken as Tord tried following the blue figure, though his colours lost in the night, the red man was lost. What was once a smile turned to a face of sadness; something he himself had never known before. His warm light dimmed in the empty darkness around him, the cold seeping into his being for the first time. He felt alone, the blue figure having eluded him for good, it seemed. Tord sat in the empty middle of the lake, his feet no longer pattering against the soft water.

From afar, Tom noticed a light from behind him, the red figure coming into view. The blue boy saw how unhappy his opposite was, his cheerful warmth that had carried an aura of joy now one of loneliness, a void the midnight figure had lived with since his creation. A flicker of warmth sparked in him as he stood, a feeling of being incomplete having been his world until the red form had come into his life. As if a pull from a magnet, Tom felt drawn to the man in red, his feet gliding against the lake in soft steps, dancing across the water towards the lonely warmth.

Tord was surprised to feel warmth beside him as he looked up from the darkness of the night, seeing his blue counterpart reaching a hand out to him, a sad smile on his cold lips. A moment of stillness passing, the red figure's hand melted against the other's as he was pulled up, the two men standing in front of each other once more, Tord's hand placed on the other's waist, Tom placing his on the red form's shoulder.

The men danced to the sounds of the night, lightly stepping on water as they glided across the lake, neither too warm or too cold. Feet dancing around each other, the colours began to mix as their bodies melted together, red and blue turning into a beautiful shade of purple, a balance between warmth and coldness, joy and sadness. The feeling of being complete surrounded them both, their forms becoming one as the moon descended the sky, rays of sunlight shining from the horizon.

As the purple form sank into the water, the warmth never strayed from any trace of the cold, no feeling of emptiness encompassing either of the figures. They had become one, a beautiful being waltzing on the lake at midnight, under the pale moon. A being of love, Tom and Tord being connected in their forms for an eternity to come. As some nights they sat and watched the darkness of the night, others were spent wandering across the lake, soft droplets of water connecting their feet as they glided across the water together.


	40. Giggles (Part 1)

Tension filled the air, swarming around the two woman sitting opposite one another. A wooden desk separated the two, no word being spoken between them. The two, young boys sat beside their respective mothers, looking at each other with curiosity. It wasn't every day where your mother would drag you to a restaurant and awkwardly sit parallel to a boy your age that you didn't know.

Tord swung his legs as he stayed silent, his fingers covered lightly with powder from the chip bag he'd finished a while ago. He broke eye contact with the other boy, having grown used to his black eyes staring into his soul. Tord looked up at his mother, tugging on her shirt slightly, wanting attention. In return, all he got was his mother licking her thumb and wiping off some chip dust from his cheek.

"Tord, why are you such a messy eater?"

An innocent giggle was heard from the opposite end of the table, the boy in blue having his hands over his mouth and snickering behind them.

"Tom, don't laugh."

He was silenced within a second, though that didn't stop his smile from showing. The smile was soon returned by Tord, both boys silently giggling to each other before making silly faces without their mothers noticing.

Tord stuck his tongue out to the side, Tom pulled his ears out to look like a monkey. The two woman didn't notice, too deep into glaring at one another with spite, ignoring their children's stupid antics. That was, of course, until Tord let out a small laugh, immediately shutting himself up when he felt his mother's eyes glaring into his skull.

"Tord, we're in a restaurant. Behave."

The young boy looked up at the older woman, pouting at her.

"But I wanna go play!"

A moment of silence passed before the woman pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing tiredly before nodding. Tord perked up, cheering with a wide smile as he hopped off of the chair.

"Mommy, I wanna go play, too!"

Tom tugged on his mother's dress, gaining an annoyed grumble from her.

"Alright, alright. Just go."

Sliding his dark blue pants off of the chair, Tom giggled as he went to join Tord's side, the two boys running away from their mothers while laughing. They eventually stopped when they ran behind a wall, the bathrooms further down the hall. Thankfully, no one else was in the restaurant at the time, which may have been confusing to anyone who wasn't a young child. Of course, Tom and Tord were oblivious to that small detail. One they were far away from their moms, Tord held out his hand and spoke up.

"Hi! I'm Tord! What's your name?"

The boy in blue smiled brightly, shaking the others hand in a very posh manner, as the two imagined adults being around each other.

"I'm Tom!"

The other boy smiled as well, taking his hand back and holding them behind his back. He swayed his hips around as he spoke to the other, looking around as he did so.

"What do you wanna do, Tommy? Wanna play a game?"

Tom jumped up and down on the spot, clapping his hands while doing so.

"YES! I LOVE GAMES!"

"THOMAS, KEEP THE NOISE DOWN."

The boy stopped jumping and hung his head down when he heard his mother call out to him, no longer smiling. Tord looked around the wall to see the two women avoid eye contact with each other, still sitting in silence. It made him annoyed. Just because they're not having fun doesn't mean Tom can't.

"Everything oki?"

Tord bent his knees down to look Tom in the eyes, seeing a light frown painted on the younger boy's face. Wanting to cheer him up, Tord went up and licked his cheek, getting Tom to giggle and lift his head up, wiping the spit on his face away.

"Eww! Gross, Tordy!"

Laughing once again, Tord felt happy he could make his new friend smile. Tom forgot why he was sad a moment ago, only thinking about how awesome his new friend was.

"I still wanna play something! But.. not something that could get me in trouble with my mommy."

Tom looked up at Tord for answers on what to do, the older boy looking away with an annoyed face.

"Why is your mommy so mean to you? It's like she doesn't want you to have fun."

The younger looked at the ground, rubbing his arm before speaking up.

"Sh-e's not mean.. She just doesn't let me do stuff sometimes."

Tord furrowed his brows as he thought, folding his arms while kicking the floor.

"Well, we should do stuff she doesn't want you to do."

A light gasp, followed by an excited smile. Tom was never one to break rules, but he wasn't a fan of following them, either. So naturally, going against his parent's wants and having fun with another boy sounded much better than sitting quietly in the corner like his mother would've probably wanted.

"Mommy doesn't like it when I eat a lot of sugar."

Tord brightened up as he dug into his pocket, pulling out a couple of jelly beans and holding them out to his friend.

"I like the black ones, cuz they match your eyes."

Tom picked up a jelly bean, his face going slightly red at the other's comment, but he tried to brush off as nothing.

"I like the red ones, cuz they're the same colour as your clothes!"

As the two boys ate the small candy together, neither of them could stop smiling. Once they were finished eating, they thought it would be a good idea to mess around in the bathrooms, throwing toilet paper around and splashing water at each other.

That didn't keep up for long, as an employee found the boys messing the bathrooms up, pulling them out and bringing them to their parents.

"MY SON DID WHAT?!"

Both mothers began yelling at their children as soon as the employee brought them to the table, Tom and Tord holding hands while hanging their heads low with shame. Their mothers' words hurt, tears running down their cheeks as their hands were held tighter. As the mothers 'taught their kids a lesson', a deep voice erupted from behind them, causing both women to stop arguing and turn to see their husbands.

The cold, uncaring tone the man used was sharp, stopping the women from continuing their rants.

"Bethany, I thought you weren't going to give Thomas such a rough time. He's only six."

"Bu-"

The man raised his hand to stop his wife from speaking, shaking his head at her. The other man spoke, walking around the chair to stand beside his wife.

"It's been a tough day for us, ladies. We've worked out the legal issues, everything should be resolved within a few days. The last thing we need is for our children to be yelled at."

The small boys looked up at their fathers, gaining tired smiles from the men. Bethany stood up, sighing heavily as she walked around her husband.

"You'll understand when I explain what Tom did. Right now, I just want to go home."

Her husband agreeing with her, the two parents looked at the others, while their children wiped their tears and poked each other, like kids do.

"I hope we can put this matter behind us when everything is cleared up."

Tord's father spoke with kindness, the other man smiling in understanding and shaking his hand with a nod.

"Of course."

The women still weren't facing each other, a few short giggles filling the room from the two boys. Eventually, it just morphed into endless laughter from both children, rolling on the ground and tickling each other. They didn't notice when Tom's parents began walking away from the table, looking back at their son.

"Thomas, we're leaving. Come along." 

Both boys stopped playing, frowns playing on their lips. They stood up, hugging each other without wanting to let go, though had to when Tom's mother gripped his hand, pulling him towards the door.

"WAIT!"

Tom slipped her grasp, his mother watching him run towards the other boy, about to yell for him to come back, though her husband stopped her. Tord raised a brow at his friend, wondering why he ran back to him, despite his mother obviously not wanting that.

"Tommy? What-"

The younger gave a small peck on the cheek to his friend, pulling away with a bright red face. Tord stood frozen, a dopey smile making its way on his lips as Tom ran back to his mother and out the door.

As Tom waved through the window, Tord cupped his kissed cheek and waved back, both boys giggling to themselves before they were out of sight.


	41. Giggles (Part 2)

Sitting on a hill in silence, overlooking their small town with fingers barely tangled together. Tord swinging his legs gently back and forth, barely any effort put into the action. He kept his head slightly lowered, looking at his blue friend with a frown.

"Maybe it won't be so bad, Tom. I'm sure your mom won't take any of this out on you."

An annoyed groan leaving his mouth, Tord pulled his hand away from underneath Tord's, using it to pull at his hair in anger.

"YES! YES SHE WILL, TORD. My mom's blaming me for everything since dad found out about the affair. I didn't even know about it before he did! And, instead of letting me live with my dad every day, I have to put up with my mom blaming me for things I had no control over! She doesn't love me! She doesn't care about me! Hell, she'd probably disown me if I wasn't such a great trash can for her to throw shit at!"

Tom panted heavily after his outburst, breaking down into tears while hiding his face. Tord was quick to pull him in for a hug, petting his hair while shushing him. Minutes passed, Tom's cries turning to sobs before eventually leaving as sniffles. Trees swayed around them, the wind kissing Tom's cheeks, tears feeling colder because of it.

"I-I just wish we could go back, Tordy. To when we were little kids."

The Norski listened carefully, running his hands through Tom's hair smoothly while keeping quiet.

"I didn't know what was happening when I was little. I thought being yelled at by my mother was normal. I kinda just wish I had that blissful ignorance back."

Frowning more at the other's words, Tord pulled Tom's head back to cup his cheeks, letting the younger boy look up into his friend's eyes. Soft tears clouded his vision, though he could still see the gentle pout Tord was giving him.

"If you were still a kid, we wouldn't have been the friends we are now. Hell, back then it was all about jokes and giggles. Now it's about growing together and having fun. We used to think a kiss on the cheek meant we would get married or something!"

Cheeks dusted a light red, both boys went quiet after the mention of Tom's small action all those years ago came up. A short laugh left the blue boy's lips, lightening up a bit at the memory.

"We thought that meant the whole world."

A soft rub on Tom's cheek got his attention back to the boy in front, surprised to see a soft smile pulling at his lips.

"It didn't mean as much as this, though."

Tom was taken by surprise as he felt Tord's lips kissing his own, cheeks flaming red by the time his friend pulled away. The eyeless boy stammered, shocked and confused, unable to process what had just happened. Tord simply smiled sheepishly, hoping he hadn't just ruined his friendship with Tom.

"I-"

A buzz from Tom's phone sounded, the caller ID being shown as his mom. A message displayed on the screen, Tom's eyes locked onto it with a heavy heart.

'I'm waiting for you. Come to the car.'

Tom looked down at the ground, biting his inner cheek while feeling Tord's warm hands still kept on them.

"I have to go."

Tord seemed hurt at that, tearing up when he watched Tom leave the embrace. He saw as Tom picked up his phone and bags, getting ready to head off by turning his back to him. Tord was quick to stand up, looking at the other and desperately calling out to him.

"Tom, wait! I-I'm sorry for kissing you."

The blue boy didn't walk away, keeping his back turned to the other while they both stood mere feet apart. A light sigh leaving his mouth, Tom walked up to his friend, giving him a small kiss on the lips, letting the touch linger for longer than a simple peck.

"I'll.. be going to my mom's every two weeks. I'll see you soon, Tordy."

He walked away, leaving Tord standing in a field of grass, a dopey smile behind his hand that covered his lips.

\--Bonus--

"Should we invite your mom?"

Tord walked up behind his lover who was working on their guest list for their wedding. The Norski wrapped his arms around Tom' waist, nuzzling his face into the crook of the other's neck with a smile. Tom hummed, thinking about what his fiance asked.

"Well, when I moved out, she kept telling me how she hated having a son who got his asshole ripped open by someone's dick."

Tom visibly tensed up, despite his nonchalant expression. Tord snuggled his lover tighter, gaining a soft sigh as well as a hum.

"It's been five years, Tommy. You're still her son who's getting married. Maybe enough time's passed for her to realize what she did. Maybe convince her to change things."

Staying quiet, Tom thought about what his lover had said, letting a few moments of silent hugging pass. Tord covered Tom's neck in kisses, gaining a few giggles from his lover, before he eventually let go and went off to work on something.

That left Tom alone in the room, thinking back to his mom's name on the list.

Grabbing his phone from the table, Tom tapped the phone icon and scrolled to his mother's contact. He hesitated, finger hovering over the call button for longer than required.

Until he pressed it and held the phone up to his ear.


	42. Let me kill you (Drabble)

"Tom.  
The light of my life.  
My dearest husband.   
The person I love more than anything in this world.  
Please, let me kill you." 

A few steps taken towards the eyeless man, no fear residing in either of them.

"Tord.  
My lover.  
The flame in my heart.   
The reason I breathe today and no longer will tomorrow.   
Please, let me kill you."

Closer to the other than before, hearts beating in sync.  
Knives drawn, held to each other's stomachs as they muttered their last words to each other.

"Anything for you, my love."

Plunged into darkness with one last kiss.


	43. Miss u

'hey Tordy! just woke up ;>' - 9:12am

'thinking about u uwu' - 9:12am

'ik u'll be busy today, but i just wanted to say hey' - 9:14am

'so uh.. text me when u can!  
luv u babe!' - 9:15am

A sigh, followed by a grumble. Tom checked his messages, seeing as they'd all gone through on Tord's phone. Pouting a bit, the boy in blue decided to let his boyfriend see the messages on his own time. He'll see them eventually.

Pulling himself out of bed, Tom went to the bathroom, freshening himself up and washing his face. He didn't really have anything planned all day. Tord was mainly the one to go to work and make money for the two of them to live off of. Tom sold a few songs he produced, though it wasn't really a set job. More like a hobby he made money with.

Brushing his teeth and getting dressed into some comfy house clothes, Tom came out of the bathroom and sat on the couch, going back to his phone. He scrolled onto Tord's contact, wanting to see if he'd written back yet.

Sometimes his phone doesn't notify him. Faulty technology, maybe Tord had already written a reply.

Tom was let down when he saw his messages were still unread. Maybe Tord wasn't notified that his boyfriend had texted him.

'oh uh.. r we still on for tonight? u told me u were gonna be busy in the afternoon, but u didnt rly say until when, soooooooo..' -9:45am

Delivered, yet still unread.

'i could make us something nice for tonight..' - 9:46am

'maybe rent a movie and watch it in our boxers after or smth' - 9:46am

Tom always loved doing that with his boyfriend. He'd usually lay on top of his bare chest, hearing his heartbeat over the screams from the cheesy horror movies they'd watch together.

'but.. yeah idk when ull be home so idk when to make smth' - 9:47am

'when u come back, plz let me know <3' - 9:48am

Eventually putting his phone down, Tom let out another light breath. If it was delivered, that meant that Tord would be able to see them at some point. Even if it took a while.

The day had just started, yet Tom wanted it to be over already. He was bored, waiting for his lover to text him back, no plans for how to spend his seemingly endless amount of time.

He got off of the couch, fixing himself a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast, before coming back to the furniture with it and a glass of milk. Placing the two items down, he went back on his phone, checking to see if he got any new messages.

He was in the kitchen for a bit. Maybe Tord had texted him while he was gone.

But, no. Still unseen, nothing written back.

"Maybe he's really busy right now. Maybe he doesn't even have his phone on. Maybe the battery's dead. Maybe he's in a meeting.."

Speaking out loud to himself, Tom tried answering his unspoken questions, filling the quiet space around him with some kind of noise. To pass the time, Tom settled on watching a movie he'd been meaning to see.

Movies take a long time to watch. Enough time for Tord to get done with whatever he was busy with.

As the film played and Tom watched it, the boy couldn't help but check his phone every so often for a new message. His heart almost skipped a beat when he saw a new notification, though it sunk again once he realized it was from an annoying group chat.

An hour passed, time barely crawling forward, the movie coming to a finish with no answer from Tom's lover.

'ive been meaning to ask, wut r we gonna do for our dating anniversary?' - 11:23am

'ik its still a bit away but i was thinking we could go eat somewhere nice' - 11:23am

'or do u wanna keep it simple? stay in and eat pizza or smth? im down for whatever' - 11:23am

Tom's heart feeling beaten when he realized his messages weren't being delivered to Tord anymore.

"Must've gone somewhere without a signal..."

'yeah actually.. we should prolly talk about this some other time' - 11:24am

Throwing his phone softly onto the couch, the Brit decided to work a bit on a song he'd been writing for a while. He brought his bass to the living room, fiddling with the strings and playing a few notes. Music usually kept his entertained for a bit, proven by the full two minutes that Tom had spent playing Susan before he thought about Tord again.

A bit of time had passed. Maybe Tord just so happened to text Tom back when he was busy. Tom's messages not yet delivered, a frustrated sigh leaving the boy's lips.

He went back to playing his song, working on the tune a little more and simply fucking around with his bass for a while.

It got boring pretty quickly, though.

A nagging thought crept into the back of his mind. One that he tried to push aside, but kept coming back.

'What if he's hurt? What if something happened? Maybe that's why he isn't texting you back.'

Eyes leading to the phone, fingers scrolling through to Tord's profile again. Tom's messages had been delivered around ten minutes ago, yet nothing had been seen by the man himself.

'hey babe, everything ok?' - 12: 02pm

'ud usually text me back by now..' - 12:02pm

"He's.. probably fine. It's not even time for his lunch break."

Texts undelivered once again. A bored expression on his face, the boy in blue puffed out his cheeks, wanting to find something to pass the time again.

He decided to put on some music while he washed his dishes after eating, though that hardly took long, as it was just a plate and a glass. He danced around a little, as there was no one to see him. For a while, he was distracted. The song soon coming to an end brought him right back to reality.

Sitting down on the couch, Tom's hand started drifting towards the phone again, before he stopped himself.

"No, I'd hear it if he texted back. He'll text back eventually. I just.. have to wait."

So, he waited. He sat on the couch, simply waiting for the familiar ding from his phone to sound. After about half a minute, Tom snatched his phone off of the couch and went to Tord's profile once again.

Delivered, yet unread.

'heh.. cant stop thinking about u Tordy~' - 12:07pm

'ik we just saw each other yesterday, but i cant get u off my mind' - 12:07pm

'miss u' - 12:07pm

A soft blush resting on his cheeks, he was reminded of the wonderful night he had spent with his lover. Tord had pushed aside a few hours of paperwork just to cuddle with Tom in bed. It made the Brit's heart flutter, though the joy he'd felt last night seemed bleak in comparison to the loneliness he was feeling in that moment.

'if u get these messages, ill be back in around an hour, so just text me back and ill see them soon!' - 12:10pm

After plugging his phone in to charge, Tom left to go to the bathroom, deciding to take a relaxing bath to pass some more time. The steam and warm water around him got his mind off of Tord, finally letting the boy settle down and enjoy his time to himself.

Time seemed to fly by a little faster, as when Tom had finished drying himself off and getting dressed again, an hour had passed.

That's quite a bit of time. Tord had plenty of it to send one message.

Excited to see his lover's response, Tom began to quickly scurry over to his phone, clicking on his boyfriend's contact. No new messages, none of his own being read yet. Disappointed again, Tom let out a soft sigh, laying on his bed with his phone.

'Tooooooooooooord' - 1:23pm

'im boooooooooooooored' - 1:23pm

'heh that kinda rhymes' - 1:23pm

Letting out a whine, Tom hated seeing how his messages weren't even being delivered.

'k.. u know what? im just gonna go do smth for a few hours.  
maybe watch a movie or smth idk' - 1:26pm 

'..i cant wait to see u tonight..' - 1:26pm

A blank expression on his face, Tom plugged his phone in again, leaving it in his bedroom while he walked into the living room and flopped onto the couch. Browsing through Netflix, the Brit decided to start watching a mind-numbing series to keep himself entertained.

Five episodes in, Tom's legs started hurting from the position he was sitting in. He got off the couch, pausing the episode he was watching, before walking to the bedroom to check his phone.

He wasn't even surprised to see his texts delivered, yet unseen. Quite a boring sight, to be honest.

Though, the boy got an idea. A very mean, annoying idea.

Going through his closet, Tom got out one of Tord's hoodies, as well as a skirt and some thigh high socks Tord had bought for him a while back. Tom slipped them on, taking his boxers off, before sitting on the bed sheets. The skirt covered his lower half, though the hoodie revealed one of his shoulders, as it was pretty big on him.

Tom took his phone, making a dopey face as he took a picture of his outfit before sending it to Tord.

'this'll be waiting for u when u get home~' - 3:56pm

He smirked, knowing Tord always responded to those messages with a series of hearts as soon as he saw them. Tom waited for a bit, his smile eventually withering away once his messages still weren't seen.

Looking at the clock, Tom sighed when he saw Tord would usually come home in around 4 hours. He hated how his lover would always have to work so late, not to mention that it always took an extra 45 minutes just to get home.

A slanted frown on his face, the boy got off of the bed, getting dressed back into his comfortable clothing. He brought his phone with him, setting it on the coffee table while he continued watching the show.

Every so often he'd pick up the phone, sending another message in hopes of gaining Tord's attention.

'maybe we should just have pizza tonight..' - 4:37pm

'ive been thinking, should we get a cat?' - 5:12pm

'forgot to tell u that Edd and Matt asked me to hang out on Wednesday.' - 5:36pm

'should i? i kinda just wanna chill out with u' - 5:36pm

'plus dont u have a day off or smth on Wednesday? or was that tomorrow?' - 5:37pm

'eh idc.. as long as we get to snuggle in the morning' - 5:37pm

Once 6pm rolled around, Tom's thoughts turned dark again.

'It's been hours. All day, and you haven't heard from him. He's never done that before. Something must've happened. Maybe he got into an accident. Maybe he's angry at you. Maybe he's dead.'

"That's really unlikely.. But.. not impossible."

Time slowing down, every second seeming like an eternity. The thought began bugging him, reasons for Tord not answering seeming to get more unrealistic, though Tom only thought of them as the explanations making the most sense.

It makes sense.

Tord wasn't answering because he'd gotten into an accident. He was hurt. He was dying. He wasn't able to pick up the phone and see his boyfriend's texts because he's in the hospital.

'Tord.. is everything ok?' - 6:09pm

'im getting worried..' - 6:09pm

'you havent been online all day..' - 6:09pm

'did.. something happen?' - 6:10pm

'are you hurt?' - 6:10pm

'Tord..?' - 6:10pm

Tom couldn't do much more than wait, though that seemed almost impossible. He was getting impatient, the thought of Tord being hurt never leaving his mind. The show continuing in the background, yet Tom had trouble focusing on it.

'babe.. rly im getting worried..' - 6:24pm

Another scene over, still no response from his lover.

'i swear if something happened to you-..' - 6:35pm

Another line spoken, no messages seen from the other.

'Tord please..' - 6:38pm

'im worried..' - 6:39pm

'please..' - 6:39pm

'please answer..' - 6:40pm

Worry shoved into the front of his mind, Tom couldn't focus on anything else. Tord was hurt. Tord was dead. He was never coming back.

That single thought got Tom's heart to stop, his mind foggy and clouded. He couldn't think about anything else.

"Another 19 minutes and he's off from work. Then I can call him."

Tom hung on that concept as if his life depended on it. Tord had asked him earlier to refrain from calling him during work hours, as the Brit had done so a few times in the past.

Legs unable to be kept still while Tom kept watching the show, the moment 7pm rolled around, Tom was on his phone. He immediately pressed the call button on Tord's contact, hearing a dull ring in his ear.

A second of silence, another ring. And another. And another.

Each ring made Tom closer to the edge of insanity, water dripping down his cheeks as the dull sound continued.

An automated voice spoke, asking him to leave a message, as the caller on the other line had not answered. Tom ended the call, sitting in silence, spare for the soft sobs he let out occasionally.

Minutes passed until Tom finally calmed down, his eyes slightly blurry from tears, yet he could make out the icons on his screen. He'd heard a quiet ding from his phone. Imagination or reality, Tom couldn't tell. Though, in all honesty, he would've checked either way.

Eyes slightly going wide as he saw a new message.

One from Tord.

A new message from Tord.

In a heartbeat, Tom clicked on it, smiling like a goof at the message.

7:06pm - 'O-O'

7:06pm - 'WHOA WHOA TOMMY! IM FINE!'

7:06pm - 'holy shit.. tom im so sorry i worried you!'

7:06pm - 'oh wow thats a lot.. damn i hope you didnt worry too much!'

7:07pm - 'you ok???'

Relief swept through Tom's body, a smile unable to be wiped from his face.

'yeah! im fine..' - 7:07pm

'are you?! i didnt hear from you at all today! ;-;' - 7:07pm

His heart rate finally settling down, the boy felt absolutely overjoyed to be talking to his boyfriend again. Knowing he was alive and safe was all he cared about, finally being able to relax when he knew Tord was alright.

7:09pm - 'yeah, tom. im fine'

7:09pm - 'listen, i really really want to read what you wrote me, and i will!'

7:09pm - 'but i dont really have time right now'

Smile slightly fading, Tom was really hoping he'd be able to spend some time talking to his lover.

7:10pm - 'but ill be home in less than an hour, ok?'

7:10pm - 'then i can read everything you sent me'

Despite being slightly let down, Tom smiled again, pushing his negative thoughts aside.

'ok.. also.. sorry for spamming you' - 7:10pm

Tord spending a bit of time to type, nervousness grew in the Brit as he waited for the message telling him to stop worrying. He'd heard it so many times, yet found it near impossible to do.

7:11pm - 'tom, you know i love reading everything you write for me. it honestly makes me feel special to have you worry about me sometimes. im sorry for worrying you. i was really, really busy today..'

'im sorry for freaking out..' - 7:12pm

7:12pm - 'dont be, tommy. i cant wait to see you at home'

7:12pm - 'ok i really gtg. be home soon! <3'

A lovesick giggle leaving his lips, Tom answered his lover.

'see you soon! ;u; <3' - 7:12pm

While waiting for his boyfriend to arrive, Tom had cooked the two of them some spaghetti for dinner. He cleaned up a little bit, setting the food on the coffee table. He poured two glasses of wine for them, dimmed down the lighting, did everything he could to make the living room look relaxing and romantic. Tom didn't even check his phone once while he did that.

As soon as he heard the familiar sound of the front door opening, Tom walked out to see his lover coming home from work. He seemed very tired, exhausted even.

"Hey, Tommy. I'm home!"

He gave Tom a soft smile, the Brit walking up to him and wrapping his lover in a warm hug.

"Welcome home, Tordy."

The hug returned, Tord set his bag on the ground, giving his boyfriend his full attention. The two embraced for a few moments, before eventually pulling apart, the two of them walking into the living room and getting comfy on the couch. Tord sighed once he took his jacket off, placing it over the armrest.

"Sorry I was gone all day, min kjaere. I had meeting after meeting, and this and that. I hardly had any time to breathe. Just.. so much stress that kept me busy."

Tom nodded, his hand trailing over to hold Tord's.

"That.. sounds exhausting. I'm so sorry for expecting you to push that all aside for me.."

Looking down in shame, Tom didn't feel it was appropriate to meet Tord's gaze. He did something wrong, Tord should be angry at him.

Though, to Tom's surprise, Tord simply chuckled. He wrapped his arms around Tom's waist lightly, pulling the smaller boy in for a sweet kiss.

"I'm here now, and I'm going to give you every bit of love in my heart."

He peppered countless kisses over Tom's face and neck, the blue boy giggling like a child at the loving gesture. The kisses eventually melted into a soft embrace, both men simply enjoying each others company and snuggling on the couch.


	44. "Hate"

"Come on, we're already late!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm hurrying!"

Zipping his pants up, Tord struggled to get his shirt on, hopping on one foot while pulling his sock up, too. Tom was his hair, clothes already messily thrown on, while his neck was littered with bite marks.

"Ugh, how am I supposed to hide these?"

He looked over to Tord for advice, seeing the Norski's head stuck in an arm sleeve. Taking a moment to snap a picture, Tom smirked as he helped the other get dressed properly, receiving a thank you before going back to worrying about his own problems.

"Well.. you can probably hide them with a scarf. It's getting cold, people won't be suspicious."

Humming, Tom took the other's advice. Five minutes later, both men were ready to leave, completely dressed while trying their best not to look like they had a sex marathon the night before.

Rushing out of the house, the two men got into a limousine, the driver already knowing the details of where they need to be.

"Heh.. what a morning, am I right?"

Tord ruffled his hair as he laid back, finally relaxing for the first time all day. The Brit chuckled lightly, scooting over to him and leaning against his chest.

"More like what a night. It's been too long since we've.. done that."

An affirmative hum erupting from Tord's throat, the two men stayed close together, preparing for what was to come. A phone going off, Tom scrambled to pick his up, answering it without checking the caller ID.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Edd angrily yelled at his friend through the other line, making the eyeless Brit hold the device back a bit. He chuckled, answering his friend's question.

"I'm on my way there! Just a few more minutes!"

An annoyed sigh ringing in, Tom could hear Edd's disappointment.

"Alright, fine. Have you heard from Tord yet? He hasn't answered his phone and he's not here."

Looking over at the Norski, Tord slightly panicked, going over to the phone to speak to his friend.

"Uh, I'm here with Tom! He picked me up. Sorry, I must've left my phone at home."

A grumble, followed by a slight pause.

"Ok, just hurry up and get here. The interview starts in fifteen minutes, and I'm not covering your asses for being late."

Both men in the limo awkwardly agreed, the call ending without another word from their friend.

"Do you think he'd cut us some slack if he knew why we were late?"

Thinking for a moment, Tord chuckled softly.

"Edd will always be Edd, doesn't matter if we're together or not. Plus, sex isn't the best excuse when it comes to him."

The driver pulling up to its designated spot, fans huddling around the car to catch a glimpse of the famous band members. Tom and Tord stepped out of the limo, almost immediately being blinded by flashing lights, screams from their fans filling their ears. Tom slightly hid more in his scarf, following the Norski into the building while trying to ignore the papers and pens shoved into his face.

"There you guys are! Just in time, too! The show's about to start, so get seated."

The two men followed Edd into the studio, seeing their other friend, Matt, sitting on a couch. He perked up once he saw his friends, waving at them, who returned the gesture. The host of the show was still getting ready, having another four minutes to spare.

"Finally! I'm glad you two made it. The interview would've been nerve wracking if you didn't show up."

Chuckling a bit, Tord settled his friend's worry down.

"It's all good, Matt. We weren't going to leave you and Edd to deal with this alone."

Edd joined his friend on the couch, both Tom and Tord sitting on the second couch, though staying well away from each other.

They hated each other, after all.

All four men watched as a young, blonde woman came out onto the set, smiling at them as she spoke.

"Hello, you guys! My name's Jenna. I'm the host for tonight."

The band members all greeted the woman with comfortable smiles, chatting with her about the program for the night before a man began yelling directions.

"Alright, everyone! The show goes live in ten seconds!"

The man counting down to one, spotlights shone on the set. Jenna smiled at the camera, beginning her introduction for the viewers.

"Welcome back to Shooting stars! I'm Jenna Wilson, and I'm joined by the four members of the band 'Rejects'. For those who don't know, there's Edd as the lead singer, Tord as the drummist, Tom playing the bass, and Matt rocking the keyboard."

She turned to Edd looking at him with a smile.

"Edd, as the lead singer and songwriter, would you say you are the 'voice' of the band?"

The brown haired Brit puffing his chest slightly, Edd answered with pride in his tone.

"I'd say I am, yes. Of course, that doesn't mean my friends here are any less important to the band. We're all a group. There isn't just me, and it isn't just my music. But as for being in charge, I'm the one that fits into that category."

Smiling with a nod, Jenna agreed with his answer before turning to face Matt.

"Matt, who would you say is your biggest inspiration for making music?"

The ginger didn't need a minute to answer, as he already knew what to say.

"Well, of course, no one inspires me more than myself! Seeing pictures of myself up on that stage, knowing I'm looking dashing and fabulous as always, it really pushes me to be better every time we perform!"

Questions went back and forth between the group, most basic and generic. Asking about clothing styles, inspirations, questions about their history as a band. Time was passing quickly, all five people relaxed on the set. Until, of course, Jenna began tackling fan questions.

"Tom and Tord, it's been common knowledge for a while that the two of you aren't very fond of each other. What's the background behind that?"

Unsure of who should answer, Tom began speaking before Tord could.

"Well, all of us go way back. We were friends in high school, which is also where I got to meet Tord. I'd say it was just a mutual hatred we both felt towards each other. I hated how annoying his voice was, and is, just like how he was always hanging around us. His presence alone made me annoyed."

Nodding stiffly, Jenna turned to face Tord.

"And how do you feel about this? What's your reasoning behind this? Why do you feel a negative way about Tom?"

Tord looked over at Tom before speaking, choosing his words carefully.

"Just like he said, Tom and I hated each other from the beginning. I think it might have to do with how we always felt like the other was stealing Edd and Matt away from them. Sometimes I'd invite Edd and Matt to hang out, but leave Tom out. He just always hated me, so I grew to feel the same way."

The host humming lightly, she let those words sink in, looking between the two men with a blank gaze. Though, as she looked over at Tom, something caught her eye.

"Uh, Tom? What's that on your neck?"

Tom raised a brow, though as soon as he realized what she was talking about, he panicked. Everyone looked at his neck, Edd catching a glimpse of the mark before Tom covered it with his scarf.

"N-nothing! Probably just a bruise or something!"

Tord himself felt like he was on the hotseat, knowing he was as much of a part of this as Tom was. Of course, no one but him knew that, but he wasn't thinking logically.

"No, no. It's definitely bigger than a bruise. It's on a weird place on your neck, too.."

Edd stood up while he spoke, going over to Tom, who had begun cowering with nervousness. Jenna and Matt watched as Edd got closer to Tom, reaching out to pull down his scarf, Tord's hand instantly grabbing his arm to stop him. Though, it was too late. Edd had already pulled Tom's scarf down, revealing a rather large, purple mark with lingering bites.

All three men froze, Edd's face paling at the sight of Tom's mark.

"I-is that.. a hicke-"

"NO!"

Tom shouting would've been more convincing, but Tord couldn't help but deny Edd's question, too. A moment filled with silence, Edd broke his stare at Tom's neck to look at Tord, raising a brow at him.

"Why did you say no..?"

As soon as those words left his mouth, the green wearing man widened his eyes. Jenna and Matt caught on, as well as many of the viewers who had tuned in for the night.

"Tom.. Tord.."

Edd paused for a moment, looking both of his paralyzed friends in the eyes. Tone low, a shadow cast over his face.

"Did you two have sex last night?"

Tord shot up from the seat, pulling Tom along by the hand as they scurried off the set in embarrassment. Jenna and Matt burst out laughing, teenage girls squealing as they watched the interview. Edd sat down on the couch again, laid down, and stared at the ceiling, rethinking his life.

All while Tom and Tord pushed through the hoards of fans, going to Tord's house to fuck and forget their exposed secret.


	45. Come back to bed

Pain.  
So much pain.  
Arms, legs, aching with every step. Head pounding, each breath harder than the last.

Blood.Blood everywhere.  
Covering the ground, dripping down my arm and staining my red hoodie to an even darker shade.

Shards of broken glass littered around me, my skin pierced and splintered, though my mind was barely set on that.  
My heart hurt the most, watching the scene of destruction around me. My three friends walking away, standing so tall and proud.

What was I doing?  
What was I thinking?  
Why did I believe this would be worth it?  
Losing an arm, my right eye as useless as my sense of morality. Failing my mission, three friends gone while the respect from my soldiers vanish. Broken down, burned to ashes, my life torn apart by one mistake.

'Hello, old friends!'  
'What would I need friends for when I've got this?'  
'So long, Edd! World's not going to take over itself!'  
'I am NOT YOUR FRIEND'

Crashing, failing, falling out of the sky, my body thrown against the control panels, glass breaking upon impact. My head hitting the walls, body bruised and broken, arm burned by the overheated engine and cut by the shards from the window. My entire right side scraped, burned, broken by my own creation.

The pain, unbearable. Body numbed as my thoughts swelled, fear rising, panic settling as I was trapped. As I couldn't even muster tears to let out, all I could focus on was the pain.

So much pain.

\----

I shot up in bed, eyes wide with fear, tears sliding down my face at rapid speeds. My real arm clenching my chest, heart pounding, breaths taken to deeply and quickly for comfort.

Minutes spent calming myself down, mind getting foggy and light from hyperventilating. Once my thoughts caught up to my body, I let myself take in a breath, shakily exhaling with another tear slipping down my cheeks.

Robot fingers pinching the bridge of my nose, I tried my best to hold everything in, not wanting to be too loud.

Silently, I cried. Soft sobs leaving my lips, tears mixed with sweat as I shook. Memories coming to the surface, the look of betrayal on Edd's face. Confusion written all over Matt's. Hatred portrayed in Tom's eyes.

It felt as if I had no tears left to cry when my sobbing died down. Breaths still shaky, though were quiet enough to hear the soft sounds coming from the man sleeping beside me.

Somehow, Tom hadn't woken up through this all. Maybe he was used to me shooting up in bed once a year, or maybe he was just a heavy sleeper. Either way, I was grateful he was still sleeping.He looked so peaceful, his back turned to me, arm slightly moving up and down as he breathed. I was distracted from my thoughts as I watched my lover, silently thanking whoever was responsible for not waking him up. He shouldn't lose sleep because of me.

Though, my thoughts caught up to me once more. I let out a faint sigh, trying to decide on what I should do. Going back to sleep was out of the question. I couldn't take another nightmare, no matter how many wars I've taken part in. Memories were always the scariest.

I settled on getting up, slipping some comfortable, grey pants and a fresh shirt on, before leaving the room, taking one last moment to make sure Tom was still in bed. Beautiful, the most amazing man I'd ever met. His safety meant the most to me.

"Good morning, Red Leader."

A greeting from a soldier as I walked by. He saulted me, gaining a nod with a hum as a response. It was 2am, only a small fraction of soldiers were awake at this time, on duty. Each that I passed greeting me, a formal salute to show respect. It took four years to restore the respect I'd lost due to my failure, though it was worth the effort.

Barely anyone was outside, much to my luck. The dark steps descending from the door and out to a grassy field awaited me as I left the building. I didn't go far, sitting down on the last step to look out at the darkness surrounding me.

Stillness around me, a dim, yellow light above the door being my main source of illumination. It was near the end of winter by now, a small breeze blowing past making me shiver a bit. My T-shirt wasn't the best choice to wear, but I didn't care at the moment. In all honesty, I deserved to feel cold to counter the heat from four years ago.

"Put on a jacket, love. You'll catch a cold."

Warm material draped over my shoulders, I hadn't heard the door opening or my husband stepping outside. I turned to see Tom sitting beside me, a soft smile on his face.

"When did you wake up? You were sleeping when I left."

A simple chuckle left Tom's lips, his left arm linking with my right as he rested his head on my metallic shoulder.

"I tried snuggling with my husband. Didn't take me long to realise he wasn't there."

Looking back out at the darkness around us, I gave Tom a hum in response. At least I didn't wake him with my tears. Feeling him snuggle close to me, I glanced at my lover's face, seeing him close his eyes with a smile.

"What are you doing out here, love?"

A light sigh, a flashback of my dream. Watching my friends walk away as I stood on the hilltop and bled.

"It's that night again, Tom. Four years ago..."

Tom's eyes opening to look at mine in surprise, they soon softened to look at the ground, a light 'Oh' sounding from him.

Seconds filled with silence, words left my lips mindlessly, much like my past actions. How could I be so stupid...

"I made the biggest mistake of my life that day. Every year, those memories just keep coming back. The feelings, my thoughts. Even though things turned out alright now, I.."

Cutting myself off, my voice cracked as I spoke. Tom shushed me softly, eyes closed again as he shook his head. My left hand coming up to wipe my eyes, I felt weak knowing there were tears again. How did I even have any left.

Tom pulled his head from my shoulder slowly, his right hand reaching around to cup my cheek gently. He turned my head to face him, despite my eye darting away to avoid Tom's gaze.

"Tord, people make mistakes. You made one four years ago. A big one. One that changed your life forever.  
But can't you see, love? Every year, the same nightmare. The same thoughts that I know creep into the back of your mind. You think you're a bad guy, that you're the worst of the worst. You tell yourself that every year, you make yourself suffer again and again for something that happened so, so long ago.

Don't you think you've suffered enough?"

His thumb rubbing my cheek softly, our eyes finally meeting. Tom took a moment to hold his concerned expression, face pulled down with sadness.

Tom leaned in slowly, our lips connected for a few blissful seconds in a kiss. When he pulled away, a beautiful smile dawned on his lips once more.

"If you were such a bad guy, would you have given everything to fix your mistakes? Apologizing to Edd and Matt, gaining my love...

Would the worst man in the world ever do that?"

...With Tom by his side, he would.


	46. Pizza

"Sir, I dont m-mean to be rude, but I can't! I just can't! Please find someone else to do it!"

"Tom, you are the only employee here other than Joan and Andy, and they're busy making the pizzas. You need to deliver them."

"B-But I can make them, too! W-Why can't Andy deliver them? He's so much better at talking to other people than me!"

Tom's boss shook his head and sighed, the Brit being a sweating, nervous wreck. He always found himself wondering why he'd taken this job, though he remembered thinking it only required a basic understanding of how to cook. Plus, it was the only job he could get at the time. 

"Listen, Tom. I understand you have issues with.. anxiety or whatever. But I need this pizza delivered to this address, pronto. Or you can say goodbye to your night shifts."

Tom hesitantly nodded and took the pizza, not saying another word to his boss as he left. He didn't want to work during the daytime where there were so many people, so he always chose to work at night. The amount of customers was minimal during his shifts, apart from weekends, though it was still better than having to face a large mob of hungry people all day, every day.

Checking the address once more, Tom got into the car and drove off in search of the customer's house. He was thankful it wasn't too far away. 

The Brit spent a few minutes searching for the right address, soon finding it to be a cozy house with red walls and a dark grey roof. He pulled up by the side of the road, stopping the car, yet he didn't leave it.

Tom focused on calming down his nervous body, first. His hands were slightly trembling, heart beating out of his chest, breath slightly quickening. This wasn't anything new to him, though. He always got nervous when dealing with a new situation involving people he didn't know. It'd always been a problem with him. Not to mention, he barely had any emotional support to help him. His friends, Edd and Matt, were the only ones who knew how to calm him down, and even they couldn't be there most of the time.

Taking a deep breath, Tom opened the car door and walked to the person's house. After debating on whether or not he should ring the bell, his mature mind took over and he pressed the button, a short, cheery tune ringing through the house. 

Tom hadn't noticed his body trembling as he waited, the door soon opening to reveal a man with caramel hair styled into two horns. His eyes were a nice, silvery colour, which gazed softly into the black voids belonging to Tom.

"Can I help you..?"

Immediately, Tom recognized the man's accent as Norwegian. It somehow made his heart beat faster, if that were even possible.

"Uhm, I-I'm here to peliver your dizza?"

Tom's face flushed bright red after he spoke, facepalming as the other man seemed confused. 

"I m-mean.. deliver your pizza."

The taller man chuckled slightly at the person before him, finding the nervous delivery boy to be quite an interesting character. 

"Ok, well... where is it?"

Tom's head shot up as he turned to face the car. 

"Shoot! I forgot it! I'm so sorry, I'll be right back!"

He took off from the first step, running to the car to pull out the pizza box. The other man watched calmly, a small smile playing on his lips. Seeing the delivery boy desperately try to unlock the car was an amusing sight to witness. 

"S-orry about that.."

Words whimpered out slightly, the Brit made his way back to the steps, the other waiting patiently by the door. Tom started breathing normally again, his nerves finally beginning to settle. 

Though, when he tripped over a small ditch and dropped the pizza, he froze. 

He couldn't do anything apart from stare at the food he'd just dropped on the ground, too afraid to meet the eyes of the possibly enraged customer who had ordered it. Everything stayed still for a full minute, until realization struck Tom.

"Nonononononononononononononono!! Ugh, I'm so stupid! Now I'll get fired and I'll have to move back into my parent's house! Why do you have to be such a klutz! You good for nothing-"

At this point, Tom's eyes were already glazed over with a few tears spilling from them. Swiftly, the other man walked down the steps, passing the pizza on the ground, and stood next to the smaller man, pulling him in for an awkward hug. 

At first, Tom was shocked by the gesture, but he eventually gave in to the hug, feeling the other's warm body pressed against his. It was the first hug he'd received in years that wasn't from Edd or Matt.  
It felt nice..

The two stood hugging in the driveway for a few moments, the world around them seeming to stop in its tracks. That was, until Tom got a call from his boss, his ringtone startling the two of them. Tom answered the call quickly, slightly looking away from the man who'd just hugged him.

"H-hello..?"

"Thomas Ridge. Where are you? The pizza should already be delivered by now! I need you back here to deliver more!"

The taller man could clearly hear the dialogue between the delivery boy and his boss. The man on the other line was becoming angrier by the second, while the deliver boy desperately tried to hold back tears. 

Eventually, the man had had enough, grabbing the phone from the delivery boy and speaking directly to his boss.

"Hello, is this the owner of Donny's Pizzeria?"

"Yes, it is. Who am I speaking with?" 

From the aggressive tone of voice used, the man on the other line was clearly still agitated.

"This is Tord Lawson. I ordered a pizza earlier and I'm here with the delivery boy now." 

A slight pause rang in, the other line going silent until the gruff voice of the owner came through again. 

"What's taking so long for him to deliver it? Did.. Tom mess the delivery up? I knew I should've fired him.."

The last part was slightly mumbled out, though Tord could still clearly make out what he'd said. His eyes widened as soon as he heard the other, looking over at the smaller man who was gripping the front of his shirt tightly, trying his best to calm down. 

"No, no! He didn't do anything wrong! It's just, when I got the pizza, I accidentally dropped it, so I'll be needing to order another one. I'll still pay for this one, though. No worries."

Both men chatted more until they'd finally come to an agreement, the call ending soon after. Tord turned back to face Tom, holding the phone out towards him.

"Your boss said you should get back to the pizza place now. He's gonna deliver the new pizza himself. Sorry for making this such a big deal." 

Tom stood frozen still, eyes wide, as he stared at the man before him, who still held out his phone. He took it sheepishly, trying to hide his red and puffy face.

"Why d-id you cover f-for me..?"

Tord let out a small chuckle, catching the other off guard. 

"You're pretty adorable, you know that? I just didn't want you to lose your job."

Flustered, Tom slipped the phone into his pocket before he knelt down to pick up the splattered box on the ground. Some cheese had stuck to it, both men cringing at the sight. Tom sighed lightly, looking back at the man once again.

"I'm really sorry I dropped it..."

Tord rolled his eyes playfully and smiled, holding out the money to pay for the wasted food. 

"It's really fine! My night just got a lot more interesting."

Tom took the money with a nervous smile, his face still red from the anxiety attack he had. Not to mention, from blushing when Tord complimented him just a second ago, but that wasn't on his mind right now. 

Turning around, Tom began to walk back to the car, yet the man called out to him again.

"Wait! I, uh.. never caught your name... officially."

Tom stopped in his tracks, anxiety creeping up his spine as he turned around again. 

"I-I'm Tom." 

The other man smiled gently.

"I'm Tord. Pleasure to meet you."

Tom felt strange. Usually, in these situations, he'd be a nervous, stuttering mess. But something about this man.. made him feel safe. 

He gave a sheepish smile to the other, quietly thanking him as he got in his car and drove away.


	47. Two for the price of one

"Puddles splashed around me with every step, water seeped into my shoes making me freeze, but I didn't care. I keep going, keep going, heart beating faster and faster, thumping loudly in my ears. I just ignore it, arms heavy from carrying my lover for so long, legs aching from running for miles and miles on end, but I don't stop. I knew if I stopped, there would be no point in trying, because everything I've ever loved, ever lived for, my entire life was resting in my arms, freezing cold and shivering from the midnight rain. And as I finally saw the dim, bleak view of a lit up building just down the road, a feeling of relief swept through my entire being, urging me to run faster and faster until I was just a mere meter away from the door. I slammed it open, nurses rushing in from every side, taking my beloved Tommy out of my hands and tending to his every need as I couldn't help but bite my nails in anticipation for the next three day-"

"Toooooord, you're overcompensating. It was just a hurt leg."

A few laughs and chuckles gained from their friends, Tom shook his head with a smile directed to his boyfriend, Tord merely pouting at him. An aww leaving the Brit's lips, Tom gave his lover a soft peck on the cheek to make up for ruining his story, before he told his own, less dramatic version of it.

"What actually happened was we were walking down a sidewalk to go home, and it started raining a bit, so we sped up and I eventually slipped and tore a muscle in my leg. Tord picked me up and carried me to the hospital. Those 'miles and miles' he walked were only about half a kilometer, and I wasn't in the hospital for more than a day. Turns out my leg just needed a bit of rest, so I was out pretty soon and had to stay in bed for a few weeks."

Tom ended the story with a sweet smile before looking over at his grumpy boyfriend. Tord's arms were crossed with a pouty frown on his lips.

"My story was way more exciting. And if anything, you're undercompensating, Tommy! You didn't just slip, you practically skid over the wet ground and got completely wet! I still ran to the hospital, and we both agreed it felt like miles and miles!"

Tom's turn to roll his eyes, a chuckle slipping his lips with a sigh ending it off.

"Ok, I'll give you that one."

\--------------------------------

Dropping the weight back onto the ground, Tord wiped the sweat off his forehead, huffing and panting as he sprinted down the field, eventually making his way to the end and coming to a stop. Tom pressed the stopwatch, humming unsurely as he made his way up to the other.

"How's it looking, Tom?"

His robot arm stretched out to grab a water bottle, he gulped the liquid down without a second thought, mentally cursing himself for the burning sensation in his throat. Tom wrote the time down on his clipboard, not answering the question until his leader barked at him for the answer.

"It's.. um..."

He looked away, slightly afraid to tell the other what he wanted know. Tord raised a brow, coming over to him, wiping the sweat off his well build body with a now dirty, white towel.

"It's worse than the last result by one minute and twelve seconds."

Frozen, almost shocked by what his secretary has said, Tord let Tom's words sink in with a heavy heart.

"...Worse?"

The man looked almost heartbroken, going around to check the results himself. His worries validated, Tord took a moment to sit on the bench, an expression of disbelief on his face. A hand carding through his hair, mind wandering and racing as his lover sat himself on a spot beside him. Reaching a hand out to place on Tord's shoulder, Tom spoke with a voice, gentle and sweeter than honey.

"What's bothering you, love?"

Tom's digital, green dots met Tord's one good eye, a few seconds of stillness running through the two of them while emotion bubbled up in the leader. A heavy sigh, Tord sat himself up, shaking his head.

"I'm losing touch with this. I used to be able to do this course so quickly! I just.."

His brows furrowed, Tord took a second to collect his thoughts before standing up again.

"I just need to keep doing the course over and over again."

Before he could say anything, the Brit watched as his lover already made his way over to the starting line. He held his arm up, signalling Tom to prepare the timer. A grumble left the man's lips as he raised his hand, counting down from three and setting the timer to go off as soon as Tord did.

The Norski leapt over bars before sprinting down to the end of the track, crawling under barbed wire and hopping through old, unusable tires. Turning a corner, he made his way over to a thin tunnel, squeezing through it before running up to a couple of weights on the ground. Pulling them up thirty times with each arm, he dropped them without wasting time, using as much energy as he could to make it to the finish line.

Again, Tom wrote his time down without speaking a word, and again, Tord asked to see it.

"Tord, you did this lap after running the full course before.. You really can't expect it to be any better."

A glint of anger in his eye, Tord stomped up to Tom, scowling.

"I demand to know the time, Thomas."

The secretary gulped; when Tord used his full name, that always meant trouble. Avoiding to meet his lover's gaze, Tom spoke in an almost monotonous fashion.

"That course took half a minute longer than the last one."

A pause, piquing Tom's curiosity, he reluctantly looked up to see Tord fuming, spinning on his heel to walk over to the starting line again, this time Tom following closely behind.

"Tord, what are you doing?!"

Positioning himself at the beginning, Tord raised a hand without facing Tom, speaking with a powerful, dominant voice.

"I'm doing the course again until I get better at it."

Frustration growing in Tom, he finally voiced his own thoughts, speaking with enough force to match Tord's.

"That won't make a difference! You're just tiring yourself out!"

However, Tord ignored him, eyes narrowing as he glared at the field. He began counting down from three, Tom needing to press the button and watch his boyfriend take off down the field once again.

As Tord was making his way down the track, Tom already packed everything up. By the time Tord finished the course, he was met with Tom stopping the timer without writing anything down. Confused and very out of breath, he looked at Tom with a bewildered expression, body flushed and covered in sweat.

"What's the result?!"

Tom shot him a blank glare, not speaking a word to his lover as he began walking away, leaving his leader confused and unsatisfied.

"Thomas! Where are you going?!"

He caught up to him, Tom keeping his head up without turning to face the other.

"I'm going back to our room to take a shower. You're welcome to join me if you'd like. You need one."

A brow raised, Tord grumbled, going in front of the other.

"Thomas, tell me the result."

Blocked in his way, though that didn't stop Tom from walking around the other, completely ignoring him. His actions left Tord with evergrowing frustration, eventually pulling Tom's arm back to make him stop.

"Answer me, Thomas."

Stern and cold, the voice used mixed with the threatening glint in his eye made Tord appear like a lion about to devour a prey. Finally meeting his gaze, Tom wasn't intimidated, keeping himself upright as he spoke.

"I'm not telling you the result, Sir. You're not in any condition to be pushing yourself this much in one day, anyway. If you really want to know, I'll tell you after we both take a break and calm down."

Once again moving out of Tord's grasp, Tom stopped before he walked again, looking back at his lover.

"And if you're just trying to prove how fast and manly you are, there's more than one way to do that."

A wink and a seductive smirk, Tom turned to walk back inside the Red Army base, leaving Tord to awkwardly rub his arm and watch his boyfriend shake his hips with every step. With a defeated sigh, Tord followed after his lover, opting for the choice to regain his strength.

He'll try the course again tomorrow.


	48. Hey, pretty boy

Two men stood at a bus stop, light rain drizzling on them. The boy in blue stood with a frown, earbuds in and hood up to conceal his dim face. Grey clouds covered the sky, the sun having long since left the small town, plunging the world around into darkness. Tom's music played over the soft pattering of droplets on the concrete ground, his eyes fixed on the forming puddles on the road.

Looking down the street every few seconds, Tord sighed and looked up at the sky, groaning lightly as water landed in his eye. A soft boom of thunder sounded in the distance, the man in red checking his watch once again. The bus was already 12 minutes late, giving him enough time to grow impatient and irritated. He had yet to notice the man beside him, too caught up in his annoyance with the public transport services to really care about the soft music tuning a few meters away from him.

A soft grumble brought Tord's attention to the other man, finally seeing Tom standing next to him, a stranger who made his heart stop for a mere second. The boy in blue didn't notice the other looking at him, simply busying himself by scratching his face while staring at the street in front. Tord, on the other hand, couldn't look away from the boy. His eyes traveled over the other man, seeing every detail the boy displayed. His hands placed in his hoodie pockets, wires running from his ears to those pockets, too. Black pants, checkered shoes, hood draped over his head. Black eyes that looked out to the water that had fallen from the sky, skin slightly pale, cold looking.

His expression. Dull and lifeless, not even the beat of the music earning a movement from him.

Normal, standing as every person waiting on the bus does. Yet, in Tord's eyes, the other man wasn't standing like any other person would. Words came to him as he looked over at the other man, thoughts and colours mixing in his mind, trying to describe the beauty of the other beside him.

His thoughts traveled quickly, too many to be contained. Too many to go unheard.

"Hey, pretty boy. Why so sad?"

Of course, Tom couldn't hear Tord's voice over the music. Either way, that didn't stop Tord from continuing.

"Your eyes seem so void, yet are the gateway to your soul. Half closed or half opened? Ink glazing over your eyes doesn't stop you from seeing, but looks empty. Blankly staring out at the rain falling down, descending from the heavens from which you must've come. For I don't see a man, tired and gloomy. I see an angel fallen from the sky, his wings lost so he resorts to living life on this cruel, uncaring world."

Tord had always expressed his thoughts with twisted words, which for some turned them away from him. He didn't want to scare the stranger with his praise, though in his eyes, such a beauty should live with praise every day.

"Why do you wait on Earth, letting water hit your face as the bus once again leaves you hanging? Why wait on a prayer when you know the heavens have forsaken you? You expression leaves me breathless, such emotion shown in them, though never seen on the outside. Is your mind clear? Music taking you away to another realm? Or do you hide your smile from others, seeing it as nothing but a weakness."

In all honesty, Tord would've given anything to see Tom smile right then and there. Instead, the boy in blue didn't pay any mind to him, leaving Tord to sigh with a heavy heart. He latched onto the pole for the bus stop, leaning against it while smiling at Tom with a dopey expression.

"What is your name, sweet angel? I'd love to know, call it out with love laced into my voice, a smile so wide, you would only make it bigger. You seem as if you need someone to know it, the soft echoes of the heavens serving as the sounds you must speak over. I've never heard your voice before, yet I long for you to sing something - anything to me! Be it a poem of love and longing, or a simple greeting through the wretched weather of the day, nothing could be stronger than my want to hear your voice.

Please, pretty boy, notice how I am reaching my heart to you, beating faster than the ticking of a clock. Of course, time has no meaning between us. For one simple glance in your direction, and you have me on my knees. Three minutes or three years, no matter how long you've been in my life, it's impossible for you to leave it."

His arm raised, Tom checked his watch, looking back down the street for any sign of the bus. He was met with a bleak view of the puddle-ridden road, a few drops of rain falling onto his face, earning an annoyed groan.

Tord gasped, still out of the other's sight, yet he could perfectly see Tom wiping his face with his damp hoodie, wearing a look of annoyance.

"How dare the heavens spit on such a flawless creature's being, do they not see how majestic you truly are. Unforgivable, the sky must not understand the meaning of beauty, for if it did, it would surely bow before, as I do. Take my heart, love and mind, every part of myself is in your hands to do as you so please. All I ask is for a glance, your eyes laid on mine, void and black yet sparkling in the reflection of the falling rain. A chance to show you I am the one who truly understands you, who loves you, sees through that scowl and glare of frustration. I can see, as clearly as I see through the rain falling on my tingling skin, how your heart only longs for someone to care for it, wishing for a reason to smile as brightly as a star."

Leaning against the pole, his head tilting back as Tord slightly slid down in a lovesick fashion. Hands grabbing the front of his shirt where his heart was placed, he looked up at the sky, ignoring the drops covering his face. Eyes clenched, he let out a desperate, heart wrenching groan, emotional pain underlying in his voice as he called out to the world.

"Why must the world be so unforgiving?! My heart longs for you, dear stranger, yet I know my love shall never be accepted. I can't bear the sight of you, standing alone, no hand around your waist and back to shelter you from such cruel, such vile weather. My heart is enough to warm you, though I know you would only throw it away if I granted it. As hidden as your smile is, I know you'd never show it to a stranger, a man you've never seen before today, who you continue to leave invisible and out of your life. Can't you see, pretty boy? It pains me so, my lungs feel trapped like my heart, air barely crawling inside, words buried deep in my soul never to escape! For as soon as the rain clears up, you'll be gone once again, from my sights but never from my mind.

Accept my heart! It beats for you, and you only! My love is true and pure, tears stinging my skin as the droplets falling feel like acid burning me. What sinful act to be done, to speak my heart out, thoughts that should never be revealed! You're here, before me, yet you continue to ignore! The torture, the despair, why must my love be forever hidden, my words spoken yet never loud enough to let you hear! I love you! I've loved you since I first laid my sinful, deviant eyes on you! Accept my love, my feelings, understand them is all that I ask! All that I can bear to need for my life to be lived to its fulle-"

"Excuse me, Sir?!?"

Heart frozen, Tord ripped his eyes open, only now noticing he had been sitting on the wet and dirty sidewalk, still leaning against the bus stop pole. He looked behind him, blood running cold as he saw his bus waiting in the stop. The blue wearing man stood inside, staring at Tord curiously, as every other passenger on the bus did, too.

"Are.. you getting on the bus? It's the only one that goes to this stop."

It was clear to anyone and everyone that the boy was uncomfortable. No doubt he must've heard the stranger in a red hoodie speaking to himself, voice laced with pain yet his words spoken in an almost orgasmic way.

Tord hopped up from the ground, eyes wide and fixated on the boy in front. Only now was the situation clear to him; he was talking to someone he didn't know, probably making him utterly uncomfortable. No words could describe the embarrassment he felt, the stares every passenger gave him making it clear each and every one had an off-put opinion about him.

"Sir! Are you getting on the bus or not?"

Tom's voice calling out to him, he just watched Tord get rained on, basically frozen as he stared him down.

The busdriver leaned in more to Tord, speaking with a gravelly voice.

"I gotta get going, kid. It's now or never."

Tord's attention directed to the bus driver, he stuttered and mumbled, no words able to be formed. Another glance at the Tom, seeing the repelled expression as he slightly backed away when Tord took a step closer to the bus, the red wearing man made up his mind. An embarrassed, awkward smile on his lips, he tried laughing, shaking his head.

"N-no, thanks. I'll.. walk."

A shrug of the shoulders was the only response he received, the doors closing on the bus before Tord watched it drive away. His smiled slowly falling, he watched the vehicle disappear down the road and turning a corner at the end.

Rain dripping down his face, Tord was left alone at the bus stop, a soft boom of thunder calling out in the distance. His heart heavy, feet slowly dragged along the ground, through puddles of water as he walked. Passing shops and cars, everyone was inside as he made his way back home.

Glass mirroring his appearance as he walked, Tord caught his reflection in a car window.

Disheveled, hair patted down by the amount of water that had fallen on his head. A sad, lonely smile making its way onto his lips, he reached a hand out, holding it against the glass as he stared at his reflection.

"Hey, lonely boy. Why so sad?"


	49. Hearts And Tokens

Tord sat on a bench. An ordinary bench in an ordinary park, staring at the shimmering water that reflected the sun's bright rays. Beautiful, the way the water rippled as the wind blew past, it made the sunlight sparkle.

It was later in the day, Tord having spent a good fifteen minutes admiring nature and waiting for time to crawl by.

It wasn't until the sun started descending that another person joined Tord on the bench. Blue came into Tord's vision, his head turning a bit to get a short glimpse of the man who'd taken a seat beside him.

The man wore a dark blue coat, a baby blue scarf wrapped around his neck. As it was early spring, Tord could understand the want for having his neck protected.

Fully black eyes looked out at the meadows in front, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

"Isn't it beautiful? Everything's so green, so fresh.."

Tord perked up, looking at the man beside him. A soft chuckle sneaking out, he couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Yes, very much so. It seems as though everything is in reach, as if I could stretch my hand out and feel the light leaves hanging from that tree."

Both men's eyes landed on a tree in the distance, its leaves almost glowing with a green hue. The man in the scarf nodded, enjoying the sun's rays on his skin.

As the Norwegian man looked over the scene, his eyes landed on the other once more, now paying closer attention to his attire.

"I find your scarf to be very aesthetically pleasing. It seems to fit with your style. May I ask, is it a rare item?"

Pitch black eyes drifting over to meet silver, the man in the scarf nodded with a light giggle, his dainty hands lightly caressing the material around his neck and shoulders.

"Yes, I used up many tokens to acquire this item. As I did with my eyes..  
You find them aesthetically pleasing, too?"

Pleasing? Tord found them to be more than simply pleasing. The man must've searched for a long time to find eyes that appeared as dark and mysterious as the night.

"I do! Black and blue go very well together, I've always found them to be quite a good mix. The midnight black pack must be hard to come by, or so I've heard."

Soft chuckling, light nodding accompanying the sounds, the man smiled warmly.

"I enjoy coming by rare things. I seem to have gotten lucky once more, as it is rare to meet someone with such good taste. The silver pack goes well with a nice, strawberry red. And I must say, that hairstyle resembling horns isn't one I've ever come across before. I rather like it."

Swiftly running a hand through the strands of hair, Tord flashed an appreciating smile at the other. It wasn't often where he'd get a compliment for his choice of appearance.

"Thank you! Your words mean a great deal, especially coming from someone who I can only assume to be a level H at least."

Black eyes falling half lidded, the unnamed man stared at the grass as he continued to stroke his scarf, humming sadly.

"Then, I can only assume, you're a few levels down?"

Pressing his lips together, Tord brought his right arm up, reading his statistics and checking his current level.

"Level L."

The two shared a sad aura, the atmosphere moving from pleasant to blue.

Sighing solemnly, the man soon let a soft smile crawl onto his lips, looking up to face Tord once more.

His arm was brought up, the man pressed a button on his keypad, Tord's own presenting a notification.

'Friend request received'

Tord's eyes lifted slightly, looking up at the man beside him before clicking accept, the two now able to read each other's profiles.

A picture of the black-eyed man smiling was presented, underneath it being his information.

Name: Thomas Ridge  
Age: 22  
Level: G  
Marital status: Unmarried, Pure virgin  
Sexual status: Homosexual  
Friends: 7  
Criminal record: None  
Position: Music teacher  
General information: Devoted to morals, follows societal rules, slight alcohol addiction, cases of insomnia

Tom smiled warmly, happy to now learn about the man opposite him.

A handsome picture of Tord was pulled up, a gentle smile being presented with strangely chilling eyes.

Name: Tord Larsin  
Age: 23  
Level: L  
Marital status: Unmarried, Tainted virgin  
Sexual status: Bisexual  
Friends: 22  
Criminal record: Cases of theft at age 12, 14, and 15  
Position: Engineer  
General information: Takes part in many gatherings, seems to hold morals to a high standard, porn addiction, commits tainting acts of self pleasure regularly

As the men read each other's profiles, light smiles pulled at their lips. Neither found the other to be opposing to their desires in a friend.

'All members in level L, please report to the food court for your nutrition packs.'

Smiles slightly faltering, Tord knew the announcement was calling for him to consume his daily nutrition.

"It appears as though my leisure period is up, I'm afraid. I rather enjoyed our talk. I do hope we meet again soon, Thomas."

Tord sat upright as he looked over at Tom, knowing he was expected to attend to his duties after consuming his meal. Tom nodded towards the other, rather warmly with a gentle smile.

"It appears as though we both share the same wish. I look forward to meeting you again in the future. Perhaps, when we see each other again, you'd have climbed the ranks."

A half-hearted chuckle slipped out, Tom felt his skin dust a soft pink.

"My favourite place of all is granted to levels J and above. I visit it often."

Noting Tom's words down in his mind, Tord hummed lightly to show his understanding.

"If it means a much more fitting setting to converse with you, then so be it. I will work hard to gain my status of level J.  
I'm thankful the benches here are free for all levels to use, though."

Both men agreed, Tom thanking Tord for his work in advance, to which the other could only smile in respect.

One hand outstretched to the man in the scarf, Tord placed a heart on it, which Tom could only smile in gratitude at before shaking it. The heart transferred over to Tom, making the boy gasp slightly in surprise at the feeling. It sent shivers down his spine, despite being even less than physical contact it was enough to raise his dopamine levels.

"Thank you, Tord."

The man respectfully bowed, standing up to begin walking away.

"Until we meet again, Thomas."

Feet slightly scuffing the grass as he left the bench, Tord found his way to the door of the holographic chamber, walking out of it to be greeted by plain white walls once more.

A wide smile on his lips, Tord made his way down the corridor, zipping through the halls like a maze. He'd been there long enough to know the way around this section of the platform, soon making his way to the cafeteria.

"Tord! You're late!"

Pau and Pat already sat in their designated seats, looking towards their longtime friend as he sat on the long bench as his food materialized before him.

Broccoli and mashed potatoes; standard level L nutrition.

"Sorry, guys. I was busy conversing with a level G member."

At the mention of such a rank, the two friends' jaws dropped. Pau, who was in the middle of enjoying a bite-sized piece of chocolate berry cake, ended up choking on a small blueberry.

"LEVEL G?! How did you even get close enough to converse with them?!"

Tord giggled at the sight of his friends' astonished expressions, finding their interest adorable.

"On a bench in the holographic chamber. He had the midnight black pack and a rare scarf! Plus, his voice is as sweet as honey, I've never heard someone speak so gently with so much sincerity!"

Pau and Pat exchanged concerned looks with each other as they heard their friend ramble on about a mysterious boy, noticing his screen monitor turn a light shade of pink.

"He's really quite extraordinary! He expressed interest in meeting with me again! I just need to become a level J, then I'm able to be in a private setting with him!"

Lips pressed together, Pat reached a hand out to his friend, softly patting Tord's screen to bring him back to their reality.

"Tord, moving up two entire levels costs a lot of tokens. Probably even double what you have now, and we all know you've been saving up for a long time.."

Tord's joyful expression faltered, eyes flickering down to his screen as he saw the status of his token amount.  
20000 tokens. Enough to move to level K, though the minimum for level J was at least 25000, plus over 5000 hours of work. Tord only had in about 3000.

Pat's words stayed in Tord's mind throughout the rest of the day. With his current job and work hours, there was no way he'd earn enough tokens and experience points in order to move up the ranks for at least two more years.

Tord couldn't wait that long. He couldn't let Tom slip away, especially if he had access to higher level members. There would surely be another man who would grant Tom a heart simply for his smile.

A thought crept into Tord's mind. A thought that a member who adhered to society's rules shouldn't have, though it was there. In Tord's mind. Stuck like a bread crumb in a jar of honey.

Tord spent hours upon days searching. Carefully searching and scrolling through his screen, making sure not to leave any trace visible to the watchers as he tried finding what he was looking for. A hacker, someone skilled enough to give his screen a little jump in order to raise Tord's rank.

And yes, Tord found one. A member by the name of Dolion Daivat, level C by choice, kindly offered to lend Tord his services in exchange for 10000 tokens and four hearts. Despite only having five hearts left, the price was set and Tord begrudgingly paid up. The other member thanked him through the screen as he hacked into the levels of Tord's profile, moving them up from level L to level J.

The Norwegian was left breathless once the transaction was completed. Part of him couldn't believe what he'd just done, knowing fully that if anyone were to question his level, he'd receive the worst of punishments.

One week had passed, Tord's eyes staying glued to Tom's profile as he read on about the man.

Favourite colour: Blue  
Favourite nutrition pack: Tomato soup  
Favourite beverage: Smirnoff  
Favourite location: Pineapples and paradise lounge  
Current location: Locked for level G+

Tord's reading stopped once he learned of Tom's favourite place. He'd heard of that place before, as well as a few good reviews of that location.

Tom was bound to show up there, and Tord was willing to wait until he did.

Formal attire was worn as Tord sauntered into the lounge, seeing people sprawled over large couches, a passionate yet soothing atmosphere being created by the dim lighting and warm colours.

Tord took it all in, looking around at the high ranking members that all took part in the collective soothing vibe of the place. He made his way towards the bar, sitting on a stool as he looked around the place in search of Tom.

Busy looking across the room, Tord managed to miss the sight of his friend walking up to him, taking the available seat next to him.

"Well, well. Didn't expect to see you here so soon, Level J. My, my, how did you ever manage that?"

Whipping his head in the direction of that soothing, sweet voice, Tord laid his eyes on Tom once more, seeing him wearing a black, sparkling dress. One could only assume such an item was a rare steal, once more.

A smirk growing on his lips, Tord noticed a teasing, knowing grin on Tom's.

"The cost was worth it to see you in that dress. I must say, you look quite the part of being a rare individual to come across."

Letting his chair swivel light as he sat, Tom held a childish glance on the other, one neither of them could bear to be without at the moment. Both of their screen monitors showed light pink colours, hints of purple morphing into them.

"We'll see how well I hold up on being a rare find when you buy me a drink."

Brow raised, Tord held a charming gaze on the other, entering a few tokens into the bar counter before watching two cocktails materialize before them.

A smirk pulling at his lip, Tom took the glass and sipped from it, enjoying the taste. Sweet with a light kick at the end of it. Just how he liked it.

"Not bad. Not quite as strong as my poison, but not bad."

Tord nodded his head, licking his lips free from the sugary clumps that had landed on them after taking a sip.

"There's quite a selection here. I'd have suspected there to be the usual broccoli and mash on the menu."

Clicking his tongue, Tom shook his head with a dignified grin, eyes seductively leading up to Tord's as he leaned in slightly.

"Now, now. Do you really think my favourite place would stoop so low? I would've expected you of all people to know my standards."

His voice seductive and deep, Tom purred out his words to the other, going close to Tord's ear and whispering into it.

"I couldn't help but notice you're running a bit low on hearts. The way our conversations are going, I can't help but think you might need a few more for tonight."

Tord's screen monitor turned to a deep pink and purple mix, the colours swirling around each other as if they were having trouble deciding on what colour to be.

As Tom pulled away, Tord couldn't help but chuckle lowly, his voice even sending pleasing shivers down Tom's spine.

"It appears as though you are right. How many do you think would do? Ten? Twenty?"

Tord entered the heart store, putting down a demand for 30 hearts. 8000 tokens worth, Tord was willing to lose it for one night with Tom.

As soon as Tord made the purchase, Tom pulled him in by the collar of his suit, placing one of his own hearts on his lips and roughly pressing them against Tord's.

The action sent fireworks through both of their bodies, Tord taking Tom by waist and pressing them together. Once the heart had worn off, both men pulled apart, lightly panting while sharing the same thoughts.

"Let's go to my place."

Tom was the first to speak, sending Tord an invite to his home, which the other gladly accepted. They were back in Tom's room in a manner of seconds, Tord taking a second to admire the dark blue walls and silky duvet covers of Tom's bed.

"Your chamber is very well decorated. I must say, with all that you do, I am impressed."

Turning back to face the other, Tord offered Tom a genuine smile which the man happily returned.

"I'm glad you like it. You're the first I've brought back here, as you can tell from my pure status. But I think it's time I get rid of that, wouldn't you agree?"

He swayed his hips as he walked up to Tord, fingers softly caressing the front of Tord's suit with a silly smooth touch before slowly unbuttoning his shirt one by one. Tord let his hands wrap around Tom's waist, running up along his sides to reach the few buttons that held the entire dress up.

"I do believe it's time we get rid of that status. You're far too precious to be left undiscovered like this."

At once, all of Tom's buttons were undone as his dress slid to the floor, revealing Tom's bare body to the other. It seemed as though Tom had prepared for the night in advance.

Biting his tongue, Tom gently tugged on Tord's tie as he pulled his over to the bed, urging Tord to remove his suit as he spread himself over his covers.

Tord busied himself with undressing his suffocating suit while Tom placed hearts all over his body. One on his lips, two on his chest, two on his lower half that he had barely managed to gain confidence for to place.

Soon enough, Tord was hovering over Tom, two hearts placed on his own body. One on his lips, one planted firmly on his member.

Moans and grunts rang through the room as they used up their hearts throughout the night. Each one sent more shivers down their spines, more fireworks spreading through their bodies. The bed rocked, Tom shook with clenched eyes as he battled to place another heart down.

His pure status stood on his profile no longer, the two of them unable to place another heart after spending them for the past two hours.

Tord had seven left in his account at the end, Tom's amount having been used up completely. Flopping down next to the other, Tord panted heavily while Tom struggled to stay awake.

"Sn-uggle me, Tord. You've made me forget the world's troubles for the first time. I want to thank you."

Shuffling a bit closer to the other, Tom wrapped his arms around Tord's neck, the other hugging around his waist in return.

"You've kept my mind occupied for weeks, Thomas. Tonight was the highlight of it all, and for that, I can only thank you."

Another heart planted on his lips, Tord initiated one last kiss, both men sharing it with a light feeling in their chests.

Once it had ended, Tom switched his screen to night mode, snuggling into Tord's chest as he yawned out a good night's wish.

Tom was asleep, he wasn't due to wake up for another 8 hours. Slipping out of the embrace slowly, Tord planted a heart on Tom's head, giving it a peck before standing up.

Standing in the middle of the room, Tord raised his right arm up, looking down at his screen. The power button glowed brightly, Tord soon pressing it and letting it shut down.

\--

Eyes open wide, Tord gasps as he's shaken awake.

Letting out a soft breath, the man looks down at his body. Red slime surrounding him, the chamber being big enough to live and move around in.

The slime keeping him from falling over, Tord slowly walks over to the hatch, opening it and pushing himself through. His weak body lands on the ground, slipping a bit on the ground as he stabilized himself.

Tord huffs, checking his full body suit for any damage, of which he sees none. He slowly unzips it, letting it fall to the ground, revealing his naked body, free from any slime.

He walks around his pod, it being about the size of a kitchen in a small house. The slime chamber takes up most of the space, the only other noteworthy things in the room being a door which never opened for him, and a window that covered an entire wall.

Tord knows, in the twisted virtual reality world, a life is waiting for him. A job, a home, a new relationship with Tom. He has no plans to leave that world, but just for a moment, Tord takes in the sight of the real world.

Pods stacked on top of each other, each containing one human. Every pod is the same, ranging from as far to as high as Tord can see.

Across from his, is another person standing by the window in their pod. Neither of them can see each other very well, but they don't need to. They simply wave to each other, knowing they were thinking the same thing.

The virtual reality was better.


	50. Season of love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This oneshot is based on the Seasons au by grapefixh on Instagram.
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/grapefixh/
> 
> Short description about Tom and Tord in the au:  
> -Tord's super duper in love with Tom  
> -Tom's a winter, unable to feel overwhelming joy, warmth, or love  
> -Tord has some adorable grapes in his hair connected to a leaf -u-  
> -Tom has cool icicles on either side of his head which is also cute =u=
> 
> Sorry if I get a bunch of stuff wrong in this q-q

"I've been in love with you for years."

It started off with a simple sentence, one he could easily get out.

"I've always looked up to you, whenever you play your bass, or help me with English.."

He sighed, knowing that statement sounded stupid, but it didn't matter. The words were said without a second thought, raw emotion being expressed without worrying about repercussions.

"The very thought of you keeps me up at night. I can't go anywhere without thinking of you! It's gotten to the point where I can't stand it when I'm not near you!"

Eyes clenched, he brought his arms up to hug himself, knowing this would be the only form of comfort he'd receive.

"And I know this isn't right, I know I shouldn't be in love with my best friend. But I just can't help it! You're so.. perfect. You try acting like you're as tough as ice, but I know there's more to you! I know, deep down, you're a gentle, caring guy who just wants to be happy.."

His heart hurt, he felt cold at the thought of the other rolling his eyes at the emotional display before him. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to stop until everything had been said.

"You turn my entire world upside down. You make my head spin and my heart swell. All of my senses are completely fucked up just by seeing your smile. It's stupid, it's pathetic, I know. But I.. love you. I love you more than I could ever express in words. I-is that crazy?"

Tord opened his eyes, looking forward at the picture of Tom on his nightstand. Nothing but Tord had moved as he spoke, no one listening as he poured his heart out to a photograph.

A sigh filled the room, the arms around him slowly falling. He'd forgotten who he was talking to, believing, for a moment, that Tom was really listening. Smiling at what he was saying.

"It really is crazy.."

Practice makes perfect. The words Tord held back from singing to the world had been uttered to himself, time and time again. Tom's picture knew before the real Tom did; it's known about Tord's feelings for years, thanks to the Norwegian's complete lack of ability to confess in person, resorting to spilling all of his feelings out in the confines of his bedroom.

Shaking his head, the boy got up, checking the time. He had another half hour until he had to go, opting to get dressed while continuing to deny the fact that telling a winter he's in love with them is a bad idea.

His fingers brushed against the glass of Tom's framed picture, the sight of his determined smirk making Tord heat up and smile himself.

"Today. I'm telling him today, no matter what."

If the picture could move, it surely would've rolled its eyes as a reminder of how often Tord had said that.

Though, the reminder didn't bother the Norwegian. Instead, he skipped over to his closet, picking out his usual red shirt and black jacket to slip on, before wasting twenty minutes on his phone.

By the time he had to go, Tord was fully dressed, taking a moment to view himself in the mirror. His grapes were proudly hung on his head, dangling down his fluffy hair a bit. His clothes weren't out of place, yet it still felt like something was missing.

He soon snapped his fingers, walking to his nightstand and picking his necklace up. A singular leaf was attached to it, dangling down as it was lifted and placed around Tord's neck. He admired it for a moment, smiling to himself, before opening his door and walking outside.

The cafe wasn't too far away, the Norwegian not being in any rush to get there. Tord strolled along the path while humming a soft tune, looking up at the warm sun as it shone brightly in the sky. It was a nice day, birds chirping around Tord as he sauntered under the trees. A light feeling in his chest made him smile, perking up at the tables and chairs set up at the end of the street.

As he arrived at the cafe, Tord checked the time, noticing he was a bit early. Tom was nowhere to be seen, the Norwegian deciding to take a table outside and sitting down.

The reality of what he was doing slowly settled in, nervousness creeping into his mind as he imagined all the possible ways this could go wrong.

He took a deep breath, trying to rid himself of negative thoughts. The last thing he needed was more stress. His brows knitted together, fingers moving up to rub his temples as he closed his eyes, trying to relax.

"You got this, Tord. Remember everything you've practiced. You'll do great! Just stay calm and-"

"What's up, nerd?"

Tord jumped in his seat, eyes wide and heart racing as he looked up to see Tom sitting in front of him. He didn't even hear him sit down, most likely too lost in his thoughts to notice.

"T-om-! Hi! D-idn't see you coming.."

He laughed awkwardly, his racing heartbeat almost deafening in his ears. Though, Tom just chuckled at his friend's reaction, relaxing in his chair with a casual grin.

"You saying I'm invisible? Must be nice, you won't go blind from my ugly face."

Finally calming down, Tord let his awkward smile turn into a relaxed smirk, scoffing lightly.

"Shut up, I was distracted."

Tom only hummed sarcastically, the other rolling his eyes before looking down at his hands. The Brit picked up a menu, flipping through the pages and looking through the drink list.

Remembering why he asked the other to meet up, Tord nervously fiddled with his fingers, not sure how to bring up the topic in the first place. He took a breath, not looking at the other as he spoke.

"So, uh-"

"Do you know what you're gonna order?"

Tom's voice cut him off again, their eyes meeting as the Brit stared blankly at his friend, waiting for a reply. Tord's voice was too soft to be heard, he couldn't blame Tom for interrupting.

"O-h! Yeah, I'll probably just have a hot chocolate. What about you?"

A hum sounded from the other, his eyes narrowing as he stared intently at the menu, Tord watching with a light, warm expression.

The smallest details made the Norski smile. The way Tom stuck his tongue out as he thought, the constant flipping of pages as he had trouble deciding. The way Tord already knew what he was going to order, despite him making a big deal about deciding as if he didn't already know.

"I'll just have an iced latte."

A smirk pulling at Tord's lips, he leaned back in his seat with a sigh.

"Of course you will.."

Tom placed the menu down, looking up at his friend's almost dreamy state, tilting his head to the side in confusion at Tord's dorky grin. Noticing Tom's puzzled expression, Tord snapped out of his thoughts, sitting up in his seat with an awkward smile. He reminded himself about his task once more, cursing up a storm in his mind.

"Hey Tord, you good?"

Barely hearing Tom's words over the screaming in his head, Tord avoided Tom's stare as he cleared his throat.

"S-sorry, yeah..! I.. uh, I guess I should tell you the reason why I asked you to come."

Raising a brow, Tom turned his full attention to his friend, becoming more confused than he was before.

"Aren't we just here to hang out?"

Becoming more flustered by the second, Tord laughed nervously, his left arm moving to hold his right and rubbing it slightly.

"W-well, ye-s! B-but I w-as h-hoping to t-ell y-ou someth-"

The sound of a woman clearing her throat interrupted Tord, the two boys looking up at a waitress who stood by their table. She held a notepad in hand, an expression of boredom present on her face.

"What'll it be?"

Her words were spoken with an underlying hint of annoyance, the woman clearly not enjoying working in the cafe one bit. The question stopped Tord from going on, losing his train of thought that had barely managed to stay on the rails for a single sentence. He was lost in his head, fumbling his thoughts around and trying to make sense of what the stuttered mess of words he spoke was supposed to mean. He almost entirely disregarded the waitress's presence, too stuck on figuring out the best way to convey his thoughts to the Brit without sounding like a complete and utter loser.

Tom, on the other hand, honestly began to get a bit worried for his friend, giving the waitress the most genuine-looking smile he could.

"I'll have an iced latte, and my friend here will take a hot chocolate."

The waitress scribbled down their orders and grunted as a reply, turning to go back inside the cafe. Eyes soon leading back to the panicking Norwegian, Tom reached a hand out to him, yet didn't touch the other.

"Dude, you ok? You look like you ate a hot pepper or something."

Embarrassed and anxious, Tord let his eyes wander back to the other, his face red with a flustered blush dusted over his cheeks. Tom was taken aback, though before he could ask what was going on, Tord beat him to it.

"I'm f-ine! I-I'm just.. thinking o-f the b-est way to s-ay this."

His eyes darted to the side again, lips pressing together as he slightly shrunk in his seat. Tom let out a soft sigh, trying his best to stay calm and collected as he spoke.

"What do you want to say?"

The soft, soothing voice that spoke to Tord got him to look up once more, eyes meeting the pitch black voids he often loved staring into. They held confusion, a hint of worry in the mix, Tord knowing he would have to explain his odd and curious behavior.

Still flustered, Tord faced the other fully, hands gripping the bottom of his chair with anxiousness. He took a deep breath, thinking back to everything he had practiced saying to the picture of Tom on his nightstand.

"I-it's just that.. f-for the longest time, I've had some.. c-onfusing.. f-eelings!"

He stopped talking after one sentence, Tom's expression able to be compared with a child who 'had their nose stolen'.

"..Feelings."

Tom was unamused, though Tord nodded rapidly. It was a start.

"Y-es! Feelings! Weird.. feelings. Feelings that a-re.. confusing! A-and.. weird."

The more Tord spoke, the more his confidence died off by stabbing itself because it shouldn't exist. Tom slowly nodded, his brain cells dying as he tried wrapping his head around what Tord was attempting to say.

"Go on..?"

Biting his lip, Tord let his head hang slightly, knowing he was messing up everything he was trying to say. He still tried again, having gone too far to turn back.

"These feelings.. keep me up a-t night. I've felt them for years, they're l-ike a part o-of me now! I feel them all the time, e-ven though I know I shouldn't.."

Tom didn't attempt to speak anymore, listening to Tord pour his heart out for him to eat up.

"I know these feelings a-are wrong! I promised myself I'd never get them, y-et I still managed to. Maybe it's a b-ad thing, b-ut part of me.. really likes having them. These.. f-eelings and thoughts. That I know what I w-ant, a-nd although I.. don't h-ave it.. I-I could!"

The Norwegian stopped himself before he could go on, knowing very well that his emotions wouldn't be best described in words that didn't make sense. If he wanted Tom to know what he was feeling, he'd have to know the feeling first.

"The emotion is love. I feel love.. s-o much. I-it's in my thou-ghts, things I love k-keeping me up at night! I-I w-ant t-o lo-ve. I want t-o b-be lo-ved! A-ll I want i-is love, b-ut I k-eep h-olding mys-elf back bec-ause.. I shouldn't lo-ve! I sh-ouln't l-ove w-ho I l-ove, b-ut I c-an't hel-p the w-ay I fe-el! I f-eel s-o i-n love! S-o deep-ly i-n love wi-th y-"

"Here are your orders."

As he tried pushing out his final line, two mugs smacking the surface of their table caught both of them off guard. Tears pricked at his eyes, Tord snapped his head up to the waitress, their drinks sitting neatly on the table before them.

"You can pay at the counter when you're done."

Her words were muffled in Tord's ears, his heartbeat filling them by how loudly it pumped in his chest. How he'd almost said the words, uttered them barely loudly enough for Tom to hear, yet still finally said to him. His fingers felt numb, the feeling spreading through his arms, going to his chest, reaching his heart.

"Thanks, how much will it be in total?"

As Tom and the waitress spoke, Tord blocked their conversation out entirely. His head was tilted downwards, tears making his sight blurry as he held his head in his hands. His mug of hot chocolate sat in front of him, a heart-shaped swirl made with foam innocently presented at the top.

Although, to Tord, everything looked like love hearts when he was with Tom.

However, something else caught his gaze, dangling down from his neck and swinging gently.

Tord looked down at his necklace, the small leaf hanging from the string, gently swaying as a soft breeze swept past. He watched as it slowed its movements, Tord's heart rate simmering down as it did. It calmed him down, no more fighting in his head or a numbing pain in his fingers.

"-ord. Tord! TORD-"

Coming back to reality, Tord perked up, letting out a loud hum. Tom was waving his hand in his face, his brow raised as he wore freaked-out expression.

"You were gone for a bit. Thought you died or something."

A moment taken to realize what Tom meant, Tord chuckled as he shook his head softly.

"Sorry.. got a bit lost in my thoughts."

The Brit scoffed, an amused smirk pulling at his lips as he took the iced latte in his hands. He took a small sip, looking up at his friend curiously.

"What were you saying before? You were talking about love or something."

Tord kept on a slightly strained smile, wondering if he was supposed to pick up from where he left off after all of that.

"Right, I just wanted t-o say.."

As he looked up at the relaxed, casual expression on Tom's face, the way his cheeks puffed as he took a sip and how his eyes softly shut when he blinked, Tord knew it wasn't the right time. It wasn't the right time before, either. He couldn't tell him what he'd told his picture, what he'd rehearsed for days on end, what he'd longed to tell Tom for years. It just wasn't the right time for him to know.

"...I really love hot chocolate."

He picked up his mug, taking a sip of the warm beverage, almost chocking on it while laughing at Tom's dumbfounded face. The mug was set back down, Tord listening with a light smile as Tom fumbled around with his words.

"Wait, wait, wait. So, this entire monologue about having a feeling that you shouldn't have, and being deeply in love every day, is just about your love for hot chocolate..?"

Tom's expression was a chaotic mess of bewilderment, but Tord simply giggled with a silent nod. The Brit let his hands flop to his sides, leaning back in his chair and staring at the sky, wondering what kind of idiot he was friends with.

In response, Tord could only smile. A genuine, warm smile that filled his heart with joy. It didn't leave his lips, even as he raised his hands to his neck and fiddled around with the string of it.

Tord took his necklace off, the other still staring at the sky, not noticing what he was doing. Looking down at the small leaf in his hand, Tord gave it a quick peck before focusing on his friend again.

"Here, Tom. I want you to have this."

Arms outstretched, Tord held his necklace out to the other, Tom finally looking over at him and noticing the gift in his palms. He sat upright, eyes never leaving the tiny plant hung on a string.

"..Why? It's not like I did anything to deserve it."

The Norski just giggled, looking into Tom's eyes with a sweet grin.

"Just take it, nerd. My arms are getting heavy."

At the sudden tone change, Tom raised his hands in a defensive manner, taking the necklace from the other before he could bite him.

"Fine, geez! Do I have to wear it?"

Tord smirked, nodding innocently like the bipolar flower that he is. Tom rolled his eyes, though took a moment to appreciate the delicate leaf in his hands. He had no idea why Tord had given it to him, but even he knew it was rude not to accept a gift from a friend.

The string was hung gently over his neck, both of them looking at it for a moment. The sight only made Tord smile more, Tom now having a part of Tord with him. It felt nice, Tom looking up to see his friend lost in a dreamy world again. He snapped his fingers in front of Tord, the Norski whining and slapping his hand away.

"Anything else you wanna say, dork?"

Tord hummed in thought, pretty content with the way things had gone. All that mattered was the leaf hanging from Tom's neck, the sight alone making Tord happier than he'd been all day.

"Nah, not unless you wanna hear about how awesome hot chocolate is."

A playful glare shot his way, Tord laughed and agreed to shut up about the subject. They sat in comfortable silence, sipping their drinks and listening to the birds chirping around them.

"You coming to Edd's place tonight? He seemed really excited about a gaming night again."

Chuckling slightly at the reminder, Tom nodded as he put down his drink.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be able to avoid it if I tried. Edd said he'll personally drag me over there if he has to."

A smirk joined by a chuckle, Tord finished sipping the last of his hot chocolate before he answered.

"I'll see you there, I guess. Unless you wanna hang out at the arcade until we have to be there?" Tom shrugged, a casual smirk resting on his lips.

"Sure thing."

Eventually leaving the cafe, the two walked side by side down the path, talking about how stupid some of their teachers were. Tord's smile never left as he walked with Tom, secretly admiring every detail about him as he always did.

He'll tell him one day.


	51. Sick

In the dead of night, Tord was laying in bed. His fingers were wrapped around an erotic magazine, though he simply and leisurely looked over the comics with an almost bored expression. 

Though, after all, what should one do when they can't sleep? 

Maybe it was the fact that Tord didn't want to take a risk of being killed in his sleep by his enemy, or because he missed his other two friends who were gone for that night, but Tord was unable to relax enough to doze off. 

Perhaps that was a good thing, for if he hadn't been awake, he would've missed the sound of someone running in his house, slamming the door, and the most disgusting retching sounds he'd ever heard. 

Immediately hiding his hentai under the sheets, Tord whipped his head towards the door and stayed absolutely still. The sound of muffled grunting and water splashing into the toilet filled the room, Tord growing a look of disgust on his face. 

Edd and Matt weren't home, which meant the only person who could be throwing up was.. Tom. 

Eyes going back to being half lidded, Tord laid down again in his bed and continued reading. 

It wasn't his problem, and the last thing he wanted to do would be standing in the same room as his enemy while watching him throw up into a toilet. 

A minute passed, and Tord was soon met with abrupt silence. Tord perked up at the lack of sound, though he placed his magazine down when he heard something else. Light whimpering, small sniffles, Tord could hear the Brit crying. 

Eyes widening, Tord slowly sat up in bed, putting the hentai to the side once again. He silently crept over to the door, opening it just a crack to look down the hallway towards the bathroom. A yellow light could be seen glowing from the bathroom through the keyhole, slightly obstructed by what he assumed to be hair. 

Tord didn't know what to do. He was already out of bed, and the bathroom was only a few steps away, yet then again, so were the comfy sheets he'd left a moment ago. 

He could catch Tom crying, make fun of him and laugh sadistically at the memory of tears running down the Brit's cheeks. Or, he could go back to reading his magazine, put on some headphones and pretend he didn't hear a thing. 

Of course, he could also offer comfort to the boy, but that option was immediately disqualified in his mind. 

Toes silently pressing against the hardwood floor, Tord crept as quietly as he could across the hallway. The sound of sniffling came closer, the Norwegian soon finding himself right in front of the bathroom door. 

Then, he hesitated. What was his plan? Would he simply barge into the bathroom, whip out his phone, snap a few pictures of Tom's tears, then run away? 

It might be immoral to want to see your enemy in tears just to laugh at them, but even Tord wouldn't be so cruel. 

Two knocks were heard against the door, followed by a soft voice from the Norski. 

"Tom? Can you keep it down? Your vomiting is making my hentai-reading-experience go to places I don't want to imagine."

Gotta keep up appearances. 

Sadistic excitement bubbled up in the Norwegian as he heard the sound of a toilet flush, followed by soft footsteps leading to the door. Light flooded his vision as the disheveled Brit came into view, Tom holding onto the door shakily to keep himself up. 

Tord had expected to be pleased with the sight of Tom's emotionally beaten down face, yet he was honestly surprised to find himself almost feeling bad for the other. 

Tom had tears streaming down his face, along with a line or two of vomit he had yet to wipe away. His hair was an utter mess, untidy and strewn about, like a cat had danced on his head a moment ago. Even through the yellow light, Tord could see how pale Tom's skin had become, barely a trace of pink on his face, and a dead look in his glazed eyes. 

"Holy shit, Tom. What the fuck happened to you?" 

Shocked at his own worry, Tord didn't know what had come over him to ask such a thing. Sure, it was nice to see Tom without that smug grin he usually wore, but this was going above and beyond what Tord would've wanted. 

The Brit looked absolutely miserable. Sick, possibly drunk, and miserable. 

"A-te too mu-ch.."

Tom's words were croaked out as he struggled to keep his balance, knees shaking slightly as he stood. Though, Tord didn't believe Tom's reasoning. The Brit was never one to finish a full plate of dinner to begin with. 

Deciding to drop the matter for now, Tord was unsure of what to do next. He'd gotten what he came for, even if the outcome wasn't what he was anticipating, so Tord was left awkwardly standing in front of a sick, shaking boy. 

As if to simply break the unbearable silence, Tom took a step back out of instinct, immediately kneeling down in front of the toilet and emptying what was still residing in his stomach. 

The sound was almost painful to Tord's ears, yet he knew he'd have to put up with it. He may not have liked Tom, but it was blatantly obvious that the Brit needed help and comfort, and Tord was the only one there to provide it. 

Kneeling beside the other, Tord took it upon himself to pull the strands of Tom's hair back that hung down enough to get in the way of the Brit's face. 

If he'd been less preoccupied, Tom would've questioned Tord's actions and perhaps even pushed him away. However, Tom was simply grateful to have someone there to help him, no matter who they were. 

Another wave of nausea hit the poor man, Tord offering comfort by rubbing the other's back while Tom coughed up the few contents in his stomach left. Water splashed into the toilet, a putrid smell filling the room that had Tord struggling to take a breath. 

Heavy breathing came from Tom as he hung his head over the side of the toilet seat, tears lightly slipping down his face as he shivered. Tord's hand rubbed circles into his back, the action almost seeming to calm the Brit down little by little. 

Eventually, the nauseating feeling settled down in Tom's stomach, leaving the man to pull away from the toilet bowl and flush without hesitation. A feeling of relief washed over the two as the intense smell somewhat left, Tom stumbling back onto his heels and sitting against the bathroom wall. 

The flushing stopped, leaving the two men in silence once more. Tom's head rolled over to face the Norski, his voice light and croaky as he spoke up. 

"Th-anks, I ca-n take it from here.."

Trying to foolishly prove his strength, Tom attempted to push himself up off the ground, resulting in him quickly falling back down after his legs trembled immensely. Luckily enough, Tord caught him before he could crash to the ground fully, leaving the Brit in the awkward position of sitting halfway on Tord's lap. 

The action took Tord by surprise, his eyes leading down to look at the small male curled up on his lap, looking as if he was about to pass out. 

The Norwegian mentally cursed. 

Because of his stupid antics, he was stuck in the bathroom with a fully grown man on his lap instead of enjoying himself and looking at attractive women. 

A heavy sigh left Tord's nose as he rolled his eyes, shuffling Tom around so he could pick him up bridal style. Tom was barely conscious at this point, simply letting Tord pick him up without resisting. 

Standing up, Tord used the hand under Tom's legs to move closer to the toilet, putting the lid down before gently sitting the sick boy down. Tord pulled away, mumbling silent curses under his breath as he pulled a rag out from under the sink.

"Look at what you've gotten yourself into this time. And I'm the one who has to take care of you. Great. Just fucking perfect."

He let the water run, a nice warm temperature set on the tap that Tord checked before running the rag under it. The small cloth was dampened quickly, Tord turning the water off and ringing out the towel before kneeling in front of Tom and looking up. 

The rag gently moved across Tom's chin, Tord cleaned the trails of vomit off of the boy's face to the best of his ability. It took a few moments to wash and dampen the rag after wiping, though Tord was able to clean the Brit's face well. 

Tom had slightly woken up a bit more at the feeling of the rag on his chin, eyes barely open as he looked down at the Norwegian who held a dour expression. The sight, along with the feeling, made Tom lightly chuckle, knowing how much Tord had to hate doing this for him. However, even if unspoken, Tom was grateful. And a bit smug, too. 

It wasn't every day that your enemy takes care of you as a loving mother would. 

Finally picking up on the gentle, soft giggles coming from above him, Tord looked up at Tom with a challenging glare. 

"What's so funny? Aren't you supposed to be sick or something?" 

Giggles dying down, Tom smiled tiredly at the man kneeling before him. 

"I never thought I'd see the day where you're actually trying to help me."

Voice soft as a whisper, but Tord could hear the words he pushed out. An embarrassed frown pulled at his lips, Tord standing in front of the sink to clean the rag once more and hang it up to dry. 

"Well, Edd and Matt are at a hotel for that convention they wanted to go to tomorrow. I don't want to help you, but I'm not a dick."

He placed his hands on his hips in a defensive manner, in a way trying to intimidate the Brit. Of course, Tom was too exhausted to even notice the stance, tiredly closing his eyes and letting his smile slowly fade. 

A sigh swept out of Tord's mouth, the man coming in front of the other once more and shuffling him around to pick Tom up in his arms again. A light whine came from Tom, him snuggling more into the warmth that was held close to him. 

Tord pressed his lips together, slightly annoyed that the man he hates most in this world was curled up in his arms once more, but sacrifices have to be made to be a good person. He gently carried the Brit to his own door, struggling to open it before being hit with a pungent smell. 

With a disgusted look, Tord entered the room, noticing the many bottles of alcohol Tom had thrown carelessly onto his bedroom floor. Some had spilled onto the carpet, his room fairly messy to begin with, all adding to the pigsty that was Tom's private space. 

Expression turning to a disappointed and slightly annoyed one, Tord looked down at the man in his arms. 

"Tom.."

The barely assertive tone had no effect on the boy, Tord a bit taken aback to discover him already sound asleep. 

Tord envied him. 

Must be nice not to deal with the crap he was currently going through. 

With a slightly reluctant turn, Tord left the alcoholic's room, opting to take Tom to his own and close the door behind him. 

He pushed his magazine aside, though made sure it wasn't ripped or folded, and laid Tom down gently on the bed. The harder surface beneath him made Tom wake up a little again, barely recognising anything anymore. 

"T-ord..?" 

The Norwegian knelt down to meet Tom's gaze, humming in affirmation to let the other know he was there. 

Lightly smiling, with a hint of a smirk, Tom weakly stretched his arms out at Tord, trying to put on a pleading expression. Even if barely conscious, Tom was going to milk this experience to the best of his ability. 

A blank stare was Tord's reaction, followed by an embarrassed glare directed towards the other. 

"...Are you serious."

Pouting, Tom lightly nodded, reaching his arms out further towards Tord. 

Taking a moment to rethink his entire life, Tord stared at Tom with an unreadable expression. He didn't want to do it, but then again, sleeping in Tom's bed or on the couch were really the only alternatives he had. 

Reluctantly, Tord accepted defeat, slowly crawling into bed with Tom while avoiding eye contact. Tom smiled weakly with glee, cheering silently as he clutched Tord's arm and snuggled it. 

A yawn came from Tom as he finally closed his eyes, ready to let his body heal from being sick. Tord held a frown on his face subconsciously, though closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep through the personal nightmare he was living. 

Softly, through the gentle sounds of rhythmic breathing, Tom spoke to Tord in a whisper. 

"Thanks for taking care of me, Tord. I owe you one."

Tom finally dozed off, leaving Tord to stay awake by himself. 

He thought for a moment, before finally opting to shut his mind off. 

Maybe this could be the start of a better relationship.


	52. Presents

"It's not like I wanted to get you anything! Edd just made me buy you a present since it shows I 'care' or something.  
I don't, but here."

Tord stood before the seated Tom, holding out a poorly wrapped present to the other. The top of it was exposed, a very clear shape of a bottle fitting into Tord's hands. He hadn't even bothered to cut the excess wrapping paper away.

After staring at the gift for a second, Tom snorted at the other, taking the bottle from his hands and smirking.

"Gee, no idea what this could be."

Crossing his arms in annoyance, Tord rolled his eyes, standing with slightly lopsided posture. He slightly scrunched up his lips, letting out an annoyed huff.

"I couldn't be bothered wrapping it, ok! Just be grateful you're getting anything at all!"

A snort left Tom's nose again, finding Tord's reactions to be the best part of his birthday already. Especially the fact that Tord was forced to get something for the person he despises most.

"Awwwwww, that's so sweet, Tord! You must care about me sooooo much!"

Narrowing his eyes at the other, a smirk grew on the Brit's lips, leaving the Norski to grow agitated. That know-it-all, shit-eating grin spoke for itself, and Tord could hear it saying 'PUNCH ME'.

Though instead, Tord avoided eye contact with the birthday boy, scoffing in artificial disbelief.

"If I didn't get you a drink, you'd be whining about it all evening. I'm just saving myself the trouble so I won't have to put up with it."

Still grinning like a proud child making a macaroni picture, Tom felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him like a wave. Tord was thinking of his wellbeing - he had to!  
And that was the best present of all.  
That, and bragging rights for one full day.

"This gift really shows how well you know me, like seriously. Nooo one else would be able to get me something like this. Like - really, thanks so much, Tord."

Sarcasm dripped from every word, making Tord's blood boil. He knew Tom liked drinking; he even got him his favourite! Isn't that enough to satisfy the crabby Brit?

Judging by the nonchalant, casual, yet somehow evil-looking smirk on his face, it wasn't.

"Oh yeah? Be grateful you even got Smirnoff instead of this lip balm I was gonna give you."

Pulling out a small tube, from his pocket, Tord tossed the item onto the bed, honestly surprising the other by its appearance.

"...Why would you get me this?"

Tom picked up the tube, studying it cautiously. It was true, he did need a new one, yet.. how would Tord know he'd lost his old one?

"The way you constantly lick your lips is so annoying. Plus, they're always really cracked, which isn't pretty. Again, saving myself the trouble of having to put up with that."

Eventually, Tom had slowly raised a brow, finding the second gift.. quite extraordinary. They were simply two small objects that Tord had given him, yet it was two more than he had even expected.

Humming unsurely, Tom placed the lip balm on his nightstand, the Smirnoff bottle following shortly after.

Soon enough, the two found themselves silenced by the previous events. Neither spoke; Tom unsure of what to say, while Tord slowly grew curious to Tom's change of character.

Though, Tom supposed the other did have a point. If the Brit had thought of it sooner, he would've probably done the same thing. Maybe give Tord a book on how to get over addictions, though rename it 'How to let your roommates sleep at 4am instead of watching anime at full volume every night'.

Finally breaking the silence, Tord had had enough of the growing awkward tension, knowing he'd messed up. One stupid present was enough for an enemy's gift..  
Yet... two?  
That just showed he was thinking about Tom while choosing his presents.

Big mistake.

"Ok, I can't stand waiting around for nothing, so go get drunk. I'm leaving."

Tord turned to face the door, hoping his embarrassment over the huge screw-up wouldn't show through. The Brit's attention was turned to the man leaving, his smirk returning to his lips once again.

"Pff, thanks, Commie. Do me a favour and turn your hentai up all the way tonight? I wanna hear the moans while getting drunk."

A sour expression overtook Tord's face, he stopped by the door, looking at the other on the bed.

"Just for that, I'm gonna put it on mute."

Internally grinning to himself, Tom gave himself a high five, despite the look of annoyance on his face. He muttered a curse at the other, Tord only humming in amusement.

"Hmm, actually..  
It's your birthday, I'll be nice. Don't worry, all you'll hear is anime girls tonight."

His expression turning blank, Tom stared at the Norwegian who was smugly looking down at him. Tom had played right into his trap.

Just as Tord had began walking through the door, he was pushed back by half of Edd's body that stuck out.

"TOM!!"

Edd pushed past the Norwegian, Tord in turn groaning after being pushed against the wall. However, once he saw the item in Edd's hands, he froze with a chill running down his spine.

Earlier in the day, Edd and Matt had already congratulated Tom on his day, making him a pile of waffles with ice cream and chocolate flakes for breakfast, despite it being possibly the worst food to have in the morning. They had given him a complex music set, giving Tom the possibility to make much better songs; one that fit his style perfectly.

However, the present held in Edd's hand took the cake by a long shot. At least, in Tom's eyes. 

Fingers wrapped around the neck of the bass, Edd held a perfectly fixed Susan - as good as new. No more bandages wrapping around the broken pieces, tying them together in an unstable, yet still functional way. Of course, Susan was always beautiful in Tom's eyes, no matter how many cracks she had or how lightly he had to pull her strings. 

Yet seeing her completely healed, free from scratches or those suffocating bandages....

Tom was stunned. 

Even though Susan had still worked while broken, he had to be careful. She could break at any moment, leaving Tom to worry more about the safety of his bass than the quality loud, energetic music. Despite all of this, he was still too lazy to get off his ass and pay to get his beloved bass fixed. 

Instead, she was right in front of him. Perfectly repaired, no hint of a crack or a single scratch left. 

"...E-Edd.." 

Slowly, still in a slight shock, Tom moved closer to the bass in Edd's hands, taking it from him. He couldn't believe his eyes. Even when he pulled Susan close, hugging her tightly in his arms, did he realize how much he'd missed being able to hold her without fear. 

"Edd, I.. d-on't know h-how to thank-"

"I didn't fix her, Tom." 

Interrupting his friend, Edd quirked a brow as he looked at the bass, Tom perking up and pulling away from the one-sided hug. 

He raised a brow as well, confusion written all over his face, Edd mirroring the expression. 

"Then.. who did?"

Nervously looking at the top of the bass, Edd pressed his lips together before answering. 

"Check the tag." 

Tom followed his gaze, seeing a label attached to the top of Susan's tuning keys, held up by a piece of string. He lightly held it in his hands, reading the names aloud in a soft tone. 

'To: Jehovah   
I got your weird girlfriend fixed. You're welcome.   
From: hentaigod'

Body struck with disbelief, Tom slowly, shakily rose his head up, looking towards the Norwegian who had sneakily been trying to leave the room. 

"..Tord? You.. fixed my bass..?" 

The mentioned man froze on the spot once more, embarrassment making his cheeks flush red. He'd forgotten about the tag, having hoped to simply leave the bass outside for Tom to find. Perhaps pray to the secret man who'd given him such a gift, therefore giving Tord a huge ego boost - yet, stunning Tom on the spot would have to do. 

Upon noticing the rising tension in the room, Edd decided to slip out through the door; his friends barely even noticing the action. 

The two men left in the room stared at each other for a solid minute, both minds full of thoughts and feelings they didn't understand how to process. For Tord, it was as if he'd been caught with his hand stuck in the cookie jar. Yet for Tom, it felt like his entire image of Tord had been turned upside down. 

"IT'S JUst so you don't sound so terrible when you play anymore, ok?! Seriously, I thought a cat was being run over every time you'd write a song (though, that might just be your voice). And seriously, have you heard yourself play sunshine lollipops on the broken one? You actually make the song bearable to listen to, and I absolutely hate i-"

Tord was cut off from his ranting when he was enveloped in a hug. It made him uncomfortable and feel squeezed, but Tom didn't care one bit. 

His arms were wrapped around his enemy, a grateful smile plastered on his lips, Susan placed safely against his bed. 

Not knowing what to say or do, Tord simply stood in Tom's arms; face red, heart beating out of his chest, yet nowhere near as close to the speed of his thoughts. 

Face stuffed into the other's chest, Tom lightly shook in the other's arms, tears welling behind his shut eyelids. He parted his lips to speak, a light chuckle leaving before he did so. 

"Tsundere."


	53. Effects

Sunlight beamed onto my face, suddenly filling my dark world with deep red light. It caused my to stir slightly, my nose twitching a bit, the blankets pulled closer to my chest.

For the most part, nothing seemed strange. The blanket was soft, no sound from outside was too loud; it all seemed very normal. The only abnormal thing that made me freeze was the light shuffling in the bed right beside me, accompanied by a yawn that I didn't let out.

Immediately, my eyes shot open, making a sharp movement as I sat up and faced the spot in bed right beside me. The sheets were caught in my fists as I froze, staring to my side while barely holding back from hyperventilating.

A naked man was laying under the covers, his back turned to me, and his eyes softly shut. His hair was styled up into two messy horns, caramel in colour, though clearly out of place and spread over the pillow. To me, it seemed as though he was blissfully unaware of the situation we were in, simply sleeping away while his chest rose and fell.

I, on the other hand, was the exact opposite.

I felt numb. My chest rose and fell painfully quickly, the blankets pulled closer to my body as I felt the need to cover up grow. I was naked. My clothes were strewn across the floor, the bedroom itself being one I'd never seen before.

Everything came crashing down on me at once. My stomach churned, my vision blurred, all while I rattled my brain, trying to remember anything that happened the night before. Any clue as to why I was here, any explanation, any excuse - anything to shed light onto whatever was going on!

But, no. I couldn't remember a thing. The pounding headache I found myself having only added insult to injury, the blackout of last night burning a hole in my mind.

Panic rose in my body, fear coming along with it. I could barely focus on any given thing, my brain too preoccupied to figure out how to react. The only way to find answers, in that moment, was to speak up and voice the jumble of thoughts in my mind.

"Wh-a-at-"

My hand flew up to my mouth as a sick feeling brewed in my stomach. Barely one word was pushed out, and I was already clenching my eyes, holding my belly while trying to push some pitiful words out.

"Wh-what ha-appended?"

The most obvious explanation was one I didn't want to admit to myself. However apparent it may have been, i didn't want to give in to that truth.

My words did seem to reach the stranger's ears, as his body stirred, pulling him from his slumber. Slowly, though effectively, the man seemed to wake up, eyes fluttering and clenching tightly by the blast of light coming from the window.

He turned around in bed, trying to block out the sun's rays while keeping his eyes closed, giving me a chance to actually face who I was naked in bed with.

Nothing about the man was alarming or off-putting. He seemed normal, if, perhaps, a bit pale. His body was still covered by the blanket, though a hint of a well-toned body shone through. I averted my eyes away from it, feeling intrusive for looking beyond his neck.

The short distraction from my sickening feeling came to an end as the stranger fluttered his eyes again, this time keeping them half lidded, yet open. I felt the need to pull the sheets closer once again, growing more self-conscious the longer this man took to wake up.

Eventually, our eyes made contact. Mine were rather blurry, glossed over with a layer of tears. His were rather hard to see, though I could make out a lighter colour in his eyes, possibly a soft blue or grey.

The stranger blinked, blinked again, then let out a soft breath.

"..Good morning? What time is it?"

I didn't know how to answer.

The man slightly shuffled in bed, laying on his back, though stayed a bit close to me, checking his watch that lay on the nightstand. He seemed so unfazed by the situation. As if it were a normal occurrence for him to wake up with a naked stranger in his bed, simply saying good morning and sleeping until noon.

Shaking my head a bit, my brows furrowed, knitted together while I pushed away unimportant thoughts. I needed answers, and my ticket to getting them was finally awake.

"What happened last night. Who are you? What.. i-is going on?!"

The more I spoke, the less confident I sounded, though my questions did gain the other's attention. He looked back at me, raising a brow, though turned his attention to my blanket-covered body. I pulled them even closer, feeling like I've let my guard down too much when it came to covering myself.

"Looks like we had a one night stand."

The man shrugged, moving up in bed a little to rest his back against the wall. He didn't seem concerned or scared, unlike me, once again.

Those three words hit me like a brick. So much went into them, spoken so casually, yet I could barely understand the magnitude of what they meant for me.

My breathing suddenly became deeper, yet scarce. It was hard to take a breath in, let out far too quickly, as if a weight was pressing on my chest.

"...A-..A one-"

The sick feeling came back, bringing a wave of nausea onto me, pushing tears from my eyes and letting them slide down my cheeks without protest.

Sex with a stranger, under the influence of alcohol, completely wiped from my memory and replaced with a sickening feeling of regret pushing out from my stomach.

I was barely able to notice how the stranger's eyes widened, seating himself next to me with a puzzled look of concern on his face.

"H-hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?!"

He seemed frantic, trying to stay close to me, yet not knowing what to do with his hands. I didn't want to be near him. The closer he came, the more it seemed as if the walls were closing in on me, boxing me up, crashing down.

I sobbed pathetically, tears streaming down my face, my hands trying to wipe them all away to no avail. My eyes were squinted, overflowing and blurry, most likely bloodshot, red. Trying to see anything was impossible, the touch of foreign hands cupping my cheeks startling me, even more so when two thumbs began wiping my tears away.

"What's wrong? It's just a one night stand, we probably won't ever meet again!"

He didn't understand, his words simply making the weight on my chest so much heavier, barely allowing me to speak. Any sound came out as a raspy whisper, my throat stinging by a single word.

"I-I'm a-a virgin."

Only going on touch, I could feel his hands almost slipping from my cheeks, as if his strength was taken away and he became weakened. I couldn't hear any sound from the man, my sniffling and quiet crying possibly blocking out an audible response. My own reveal caused more tears to spill, eventually being slowly wiped away by the foreign hands.

"..I.. I am so, so sorry. I didn't.."

A sigh came from the stranger, clearly upset, laced with a lighter feeling of guilt.

"I-I didn't know.. We were both drunk, and you seemed so.. eager..  
God, I'm.. I'm so sorry."

From his voice alone, I could hear his genuine tone. Despite losing my first time to a man I didn't know, I could understand his point of view, of course! I could remember going to a friend's party, downing some drinks, but I was too far gone to control myself.

Lightly shaking my head, I attempted to open my eyes, barely able to make out a blurry expression of guilt overtaking the stranger's face.

"D-on't.. You don't n-need to ap-ologise.."

Maybe it was stupid to get worked up over this. I'd tried for 21 years to save my first time for someone special, but my lack of restraint for alcohol consumption clearly won me over.

A sharp exhale cut through the tense atmosphere, the soft rubbing of thumbs across my cheeks stopping as the man seemed to hang his head slightly.

"No, no I do need to. You lost your first to me! And you.. don't even seem to remember it."

He looked to the side, my cries having simmered down to soft sniffles, tears falling at a slower pace, yet still spilling out. Nothing came to mind for me to say. No answer came out, my eyes simply focusing on the intense stare the man was giving to the mattress. I was limply sitting before him, my face in his hands, while he furrowed his brows in thought.

Soon enough, his eyes led back to mine, showing a softened, sad smile.

"I know I can't give you your.. virginity back.."

His smile seemed to fall slightly, as if saddened by his statement. It was redundant, yet something that had also buried itself in my mind. I couldn't take last night back, even if I couldn't remember it.

"..But I want to try making it up to you. If.. you want me to. If you want me gone forever, that's completely fine! I understand!-"

I choked a small sound out at the man's offer, stopping him before he could ramble on and on. He closed his mouth, looking up to meet my curious gaze, though I averted my eyes at the last second.

"What do y-ou mean, 'make it up to me'..?"

Again, my voice was quiet, barely pushing past the volume of a sniffle. The man seemed to understand, he himself looking away, lightly pressing his lips into a thin line before speaking.

"I could take you to dinner, if you'd like. Maybe it won't feel so much like.. you had your first time with a stranger..? Or whatever you'd like!"

He seemed as if he wanted to say more, though opted to keep his mouth shut, waiting for my answer while barely meeting my murky gaze.

Generally, his offer was.. nice. But I didn't know why he'd want to take me out somewhere. He wasn't responsible, I drank too much, it's not his fault that he was my first! Absolutely not.

But from the look of guilt on his face, it was clear enough that my reaction to the entire situation was overwhelming. There was no need to feel guilty, though my constant sobbing and sniffling, the waterfall of tears slipping down, all of it would only point to blaming this man for making me cry.

It wasn't right. There was nothing for him to make up for!

Debates in my head carried on for a few still seconds, though I finally came to a conclusion when I shook my head gently. He stayed quiet, his confused expression speaking to me instead.

"It's not your fault.. Please, I-I'm sorry for putting this pressure on you! It's really ok. I'll get over it.."

The atmosphere between us tensed up, clearly letting awkwardness settle in. Honestly, once I realised the situation we were in, I couldn't hold back a faint chuckle.

Here we were; two strangers, naked in bed, one suddenly bursting into tears while denying consolation from the other.

I felt stupid trying to hold onto something for so many years for nothing. It was gone in a flash. A shame that I couldn't remember it, though I was sure I'd beat myself up about that later.

For the time being, the man before me honestly did surprise me. He seemed genuinely kind. I held onto my v-card for so long since I could never find any person I really clicked with. Maybe I was hungover, maybe the headache I had was making a comeback and drilling into my mind until it turned to goop, but I felt genuinely flattered by his offer.

It was a sweet gesture. Of course, I felt off about a stranger being my first, but a dinner wasn't necessary to change that.

The man before me seemed beaten down, drained, upset. If things were different, I would've thanked him for his efforts. Thanks to him, the sick feeling in my stomach was gone. My tears stopped falling. If I were left alone with my thoughts, things would've surely gone down much worse.

"..We don't need to go to dinner to stop being strangers."

Our eyes met, his showing an intrigued look, while mine softened by the small, shy smile I gave him.

"I'm Tom."

The way the other still held my face only helped keep my smile up, though the surprised expression he gave while continuing to hold it simply made me giggle.

Eventually, he caught on, chuckling a small bit with lifted eyes.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Tom! I'm Tord."

My eyes closed softly, giving him a warm smile while my head lightly tilted in his hold. I held my hand out to him, looking down at it as I spoke again.

"It's lovely to meet you, too."

Tord seemed to follow my gaze, noticing my outstretched hand, while the other still held the sheets up to my chest. Upon realising where his hands were, Tord immediately retracted them, awkwardly giving me an embarrassed smile.

"S-sorry!"

He chuckled lightly, shaking my hand, despite us being mere inches away from each other.

I felt stupid. But at least I knew I didn't feel stupid alone.

We pulled our hands away, and I pulled the sheets closer once again, despite how uncomfortable the fabric felt against my naked body. Tord seemed preoccupied with his thoughts, soon voicing them before things turned more awkward.

"If you won't take up my offer on dinner, may I at least make you some breakfast?"

He flashed a gentle smile my way, making my self-conscious body close slightly, looking to the side. I wasn't used to being so close to someone. This entire situation was so new to me, I didn't know how to react. Though, now that my stomach had settled, I could tell I was rather hungry.

".. Sure. Breakfast sounds nice..!"

I looked up at him with another shy smile, meeting Tord's light chuckle and nod. He got out of bed and walked to the door, holding the handle and turning to speak to me.

"I'll be in the kitchen, then. Make yourself at home! The bathroom is down the hall and to the right if you need it."

His voice sounded so calming, though my sight was still directed downwards, unable to meet his gaze at first. Though, when I answered him, I looked up.

"Thank yo- PUT SOME PANTS ON!"

I shielded my eyes with my hands while Tord laughed, grabbing some boxers casually before sauntering out of the room.


	54. Hayloft

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LvAiJYKoSM
> 
> -This has """"mild"""" NSFW  
> -Daddy = Dad. Biological dad. 👀 Just so u know  
> -ily ouo  
> -it's.. Rly bad q-q  
> -oneshot inspired by the song 'Hayloft' from Mother Mother
> 
> (also the meme "Daddy's got a gun meme//tomtord//I'm gonna sleep now am tired lololol" made me aware of the song to begin with, so thank u to Smegg animations for making it uwu)

"Be quiet, sugar! Daddy's gonna kill you if he finds out we're doing this."

Tom pulled his boyfriend by the hand, creeping over to the rickety barn behind the house. All the lights were out, the moon being the only guidance for the pair of young midnight lovers. They had come prepared, only dressed in a shirt and boxers, anticipation of their nighttime escapade helping to ignore the light, chilly wind.

A sneaky giggle escaped Tord's lips as he let himself be pulled by a tug of his partner's hand. Their steps never slowed pace as they walked, though Tord managed to catch up to the other, smirking at him while whispering.

"Relax, Pum'kin. He went to bed hours ago. We'll be quiet!"

They reached the front of the hayloft, Tord being the one to pull his lover close to a halt, gently pulling his hips closer by wrapping his arms around Tom's waist. Eyes slightly lidded, a relaxed smile overtook his lips, Tord coming closer to Tom by pecking his neck.

A trail of kisses was left behind as he moved his lips upwards, going from Tom's neck, eventually leading to his lips. Tenderly, he gave his boyfriend a kiss, rubbing his hips as he pulled away. Tom leaned in as he felt the kiss break, silently wishing it didn't have to.

"Your old man won't even know I'm here. Your mom won't, either. So tonight, I'm gonna make you see stars you don't find in the sky."

Tord's lips curled into a seductive smirk as he watched Tom's expression morph into one of embarrassment, looking away with a slight pout. The boy grabbed Tord by the clothes on his chest, opening the barn door silently, pulling his lover in immediately afterwards.

Excitement and arousal was in the air as the boys pressed against one another, connecting their lips as their hands could barely leave the other's body. Through the passion of it all, Tom didn't hear how loudly the barn door had shut.

No second thoughts came to mind as the boys stumbled onto one of the many stacks of hay. The loft was covered in scattered pieces of it, the thin blades pricking through their clothes, yet neither boy seemed to care.

Their eyes were set on each other, legs already a tangled mess, Tord finding himself staring down at the other hungrily, while Tom could barely hold his own instincts back.

They wanted to tear each other's clothes off, bite and suck the sweet skin they'd craved to embrace and touch. Bare, exposed, every part of themselves free for the other to roam.

Tord made the first move, crashing his lips against Tom's, fiddling with buttons on his shirt to open them up. His hands shaking from the burning desire to make passionate love to his partner, the buttons were messily undone, Tom's shirt opened up to reveal his soft, pale chest.

The kiss broke once again, leaving Tom breathlessly panting, feeling his cheeks burn and his body overheated already.

Eager eyes looked over the boy's chest, Tord licking his lips quickly before bringing his head back down, kissing over his chest, letting his tongue roam around Tom's touch-starved skin.

A stifled moan barely slipped past Tom's lips as he felt the other tend to his nipples, sucking and biting them one at a time, twisting and pinching the neglected one whenever he switched.

Back arching, Tom furiously bit his lip at the attention his body was getting, hands finding themselves entwined in the strangely formed locks of Tord's hair.

The pleasurable sensations were gonna all too quickly as Tord moved his lips further downwards, over his stomach, light shivers gently running over Tom's spine.

Before they knew it, Tord's fingers had wrapped themselves around the hem of Tom's boxers, the boy himself stopping to look up at his lover.

He didn't need to say a word as they locked eyes with each other; Tord's gently lidded while Tom's were almost shut. A light nod came from Tom, followed by a small whimper, giving his lover permission to continue.

Fingers still wrapped around the hem of Tom's boxers, Tord decided to pull his hands away, letting go of the fabric. Instead, he kissed down to the hem, soon taking it into his teeth. Their eyes stayed locked as Tord pulled the fabric down.

Tom's slightly aroused member came into view, his boxers ending up at his feet, soon taken off and thrown onto the pile of hay by Tord.

His body was entirely exposed to the other, Tord simply staring for a moment, taking every part of him in. The flushed skin, so soft to touch. Tord would be the first to do so.

Gentle hands ran up Tom's thighs, the eyeless boy shivering at the cool touch. It earned a chuckle from the other, Tord watching his lover's expressions constantly changing with every action he made.

The two hands stopped moving as a shaky gasp escaped Tom's lips, his boyfriend looking at the fingers lightly grazing the boy's member. Intruiged by Tom's reaction, a darker smirk overtook Tord's lips, gently letting his hand graze over the sensitive skin they were already laid upon.

Sharp inhales followed suit, spilling from Tom's mouth as he brought a hand up, clasping it over his lips. Barely any sound was muffled, the gasps and faint moans still escaping through the gaps of his fingers.

Every muttered noise drove Tord to build up a feeling of sheer excitement in his gut, eagerly pulling his hand away from Tom, roaming around his own body to slip his shirt off. A small whine came from Tom as his lover pulled away, though once Tord managed to slip his boxers off, he let out a sudden, loud yelp.

Tord had taken Tom's tip in his mouth, already bobbing his head up and down while Tom harshly bit down on his finger in an attempt to silence himself.

His free hand snaking downwards, Tom tangled his fingers into Tord's hair, slightly gripping and pulling the strands in ecstacy, completely forgetting how crucial it was to stay quiet. Pet named mixed in with moans, Tord speeding up as felt the other's back arch once again.

"S-SUGAR, DO-N'T STOP-!"

Tom's panting was deep, heavy, and loud. Loud enough to cover up the footsteps leading to the door of the loft, yet unable to mask the booming voice coming from Tom's father outside.

"I DON'T KNOW WHO'S ALL IN THERE, BUT Y'ALL AREN'T STAYIN' IN THERE FOR LONG."

Tord and Tom froze every movement and sound as the barn doors opened, Tom's father shining a flashlight around the room while the man himself sauntered inside. It wasn't long until the beam revealed the two lovers, Tom's father stopping in his tracks at the sight.

His son laying underneath a stranger, both naked, the unknown man having taken his son's shaft into his mouth.  
The man had been woken up by the sound of the barn doors closing, the moans and gasps indecipherable from the outside.

Yet in here, he could see everything, the entire sinful act being paused upon his arrival, though he wasn't sticking around for it to continue.

As quickly as he arrived, Tom's father left the barn, speed-walking back to the house.

Tord watched in confusion, furrowing his brows as he watched the older man dart away. On the contrary, Tom was struggling to find his and Tord's appropriate clothes, panicking as he looked back up at his boyfriend and firmly pushing against his shoulders.

"T-ord, you need to leave now."

The boys locked eyes, Tord seeming even more confused than before, though Tom didn't wait around for him to catch up.

"What - why?! Your pops left, hun. He's prolly just embarrassed."

Tom shook his head, panic rising in his heart as he sat up in the haystack, grabbing Tord's clothes and pushing them into the other's chest.

"N-o, Tordy, no! He's gonna come back!"

Trying to stuff his head into his shirt again, Tom nervously shook, trying to pull his clothes on in record time, while Tord stayed as he was; bare bottomed, holding his clothes loosely in his hands.

That was, until a deafening gunshot rang through, both boys staring at the man holding a rifle, quickly stepping towards them.

"Daddy just went to grab his gun!"

Eyes going wide while his face seemed to pale, Tord shook as he fumbled with his clothing, barely managing to get his boxers on and simply carrying his shirt as Tom grabbed his arm, yanking him to the backdoor of the barn. His father wasn't too far behind them.

"HE'S GOT A GUN? IS HE TRYIN' TO KILL ME FOR TOUCHIN' YA?"

The couple ran through the back door and out to the fields, Tom's father firing some warning shots all around his son's lover, keeping the boy on his toes at he ran.

"YES, YES HE IS! DADDY'S PROTECTIVE OF US."

Across the field, a red pickup truck was already parked by the road, two friends sitting inside of it, waiting for their comrade to show up again. Things had been pretty slow that evening, though at the sound of gunshots being fired, both boys turned to watch their friend bring dragged along by his partner, a man chasing behind them with a rifle.

"START THE CAR!"

At the shouted command towards them, the boys in the truck couldn't help but crack a sadistic smirk.

"Bet he didn't even get to third base."

Pat sat up straighter to get a better view through the mirror while Pau turned the key, starting up the car, watching behind him as their friend drew closer to the vehicle.

"Bet his pop caught 'em both cryin'."

Tord had managed to outrun Tom's father momentarily, both lovers making it to the pickup truck, finally stopping before it.

Neither of them had time to catch their breaths, Tord grabbing his lover's puffed cheeks and pulling him close in a split second, leaving Tom utterly breathless with a deep, passionate kiss.

Another shot got him to quickly pull away, leaving both of them panting deeply, hearts heavy yet pounding loudly against their chests.

"Looks like we're cuttin' it short tonight, baby."

Tord pecked his lover's cheek, scrambling into the back of the pickup truck, staying low as he banged on the metal twice, feeling the truck beginning to move.

Tom ran alongside the truck, trying to share his goodbyes with his lover for the evening.

"STAY SAFE, SUGAR! WE'LL GET IT NEXT TIME!"

The boy called out to his partner, reaching his hand out towards him, yet the truck was gaining speed, the boy being left behind little by little.

"I'LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU, THOMAS. I PROMISE YOU, I WILL!"

With Tord's final words, the truck took off, leaving behind a large cloud is smoke, yet Tom simply powered through it until his legs could barely carry him anymore.

Tom was left standing in the middle of the road, holding a dopey, dreamy expression, watching the red pickup truck driving away in the distance.

He'd wanted to jump in the truck along with his lover, yet they both knew his father would be much less forgiving if that were the case.

A worn out, exhausted man joined Tom by his side a manner of seconds later. His shotgun was loosely held in one arm, the other planting itself firmly onto his son's shoulder.

"Inside. Now."

"Yeah, yeah.."

The front door to the hayloft got a new lock the very next day, the only key belonging to Tom's father, making it inaccessible every night to 'protect his sacred child.'

He forgot about the back door, which was left completely unlocked.  
Tom and Tord didn't forget.

They just remembered to keep quiet.


End file.
